New here? Here's exactly what happens next.
Starting a course can feel like a lot when you don't know what's coming. So here's the whole picture, from your first enquiry to the day you're handed a qualification, in plain English.
Meet AWS.
Australian Work Skill (AWS) is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 45925) specialising in business qualifications for individuals and workplaces. We deliver online, but there's a real person behind every part of it. Here's what that means for you day to day.
Collaboration
We work with you, not just at you. Your Training Plan is built around the units you actually need.
Integrity
Clear information about your rights, your fees, and what's expected of you, before you ever sign up.
Respect
Whatever your background or starting point, you'll be treated like an adult who's capable of getting this done.
Quality
Every unit is designed for online delivery and assessed to the same standard as face to face training.
Our end of the dealWhat you're guaranteed as an AWS student
- Accurate information about your course and what's required, before you commit to anything
- To be treated with courtesy, respect and fairness, regardless of your background
- The resources you actually need to complete your training, not just access to a portal
- Confidential handling of your personal information, always
- Fair assessment against criteria you're shown upfront, with feedback within 10 business days
- If we ever can't deliver your training, a full refund for anything not yet delivered
From enrolment to induction: what happens when.
Every enrolment follows the same run of steps. Here's the order they happen in.
You enquire, we check it's the right fit
Browse courses on our website or get in touch directly. For full qualifications and traineeships, we'll set up a proper course enquiry interview first, short courses and part qualifications can go straight to enrolment.
You complete your application
We send you a link to the enrolment form online. Once it's submitted, our enrolment team reviews it and follows up for anything they need, including your ID and a quick check of your Smart and Skilled eligibility if it applies to you.
A short digital literacy check
Part of your application includes a brief Language, Literacy and Numeracy check. It's not about ruling you out, it's how we work out what support you might need before you start, not after.
Confirmation of enrolment
Once your application's approved and any payment received, we'll email you written confirmation that you're officially enrolled.
Your induction
Tailored to your course. We walk you through the handbook, your fees, and your program specifics, allocate your Trainer/Assessor and Study Mentor, and hand you your Training Plan.
You sign your Training Plan
It sets out your units, your start date and your expected completion date. Read it properly, it's a binding contract. If you're a trainee, your employer needs to sign it too.
Your Study Mentor calls
Within 3 business days of your confirmation of enrolment, your Mentor will call to walk you through your Training Plan, show you the portal, and talk through what's expected. That's your induction complete, you're in.
Getting started checklist.
Print this out, screenshot it, whatever works. These are the things to have sorted before and just after you enrol.
- Sort your USI. Create one free at usi.gov.au in a few minutes, or we can create it on your behalf if you give us your driver's licence number.
- Have your ID ready. Identity checks are mandatory for every student, so have the right documents on hand during your application.
- Give us the email you actually check. That's where your portal access, your Training Plan and every update lands, personal or work email is fine.
- Do your digital literacy check honestly. It exists to get you the right support, not to catch you out.
- Read your Training Plan before you sign it. It's a binding contract setting out your units and your dates. If you're a trainee, get your employer's signature too.
- Save your Study Mentor's details the moment they call, they'll reach out within 3 business days of your confirmation of enrolment.
- Log in to your e-learning portal early and have a look around, your logins can expire if they sit unused too long.
- Diarise your first unit's due dates straight from your Training Plan.
What happens next.
Once you're inducted, here's the rhythm of a typical unit of competency.
Units unlock as you go
You won't get every unit dumped on you at once, they're released progressively per your Training Plan. Typical pace is one unit every 3 to 4 weeks for Certificate III, and every 4 to 6 weeks for Certificate IV.
We mark it quickly
Every task gets three attempts. Submit through your portal and your Assessor marks it within 10 business days. Need more time? Email your Mentor at least 3 business days before it's due.
Real time with your Mentor
Your Study Mentor spends a minimum of 60 minutes with you per unit of competency. That's dedicated one-on-one time, not a quick check-in, on top of regular contact to track how you're going.
You're supported beyond your studies.
Study doesn't happen in isolation from everything else going on in your life, so if things get heavy, tell your Study Mentor. We can connect you with language, literacy and numeracy support, learning coaching, English as a second language tuition, alternative payment plans, counselling, disability access and employment services.
What is a traineeship.
A traineeship is a real, paid job combined with a nationally recognised qualification. Instead of classroom study, you learn on the job like any other member of your team, and complete your learning and assessment online through our secure portal. In NSW, many traineeships are subsidised through the Smart and Skilled program, government funding that can bring your fees down significantly, sometimes to zero, depending on your eligibility.
New to a traineeship? Here's what you need to know
How it gets set upYour enrolment steps
- Your enquiry usually comes through your employer or an Australian Apprenticeship Centre
- Your Training Plan is approved by NSW State Training Services and provided to your employer, setting out what you'll study and when
- It's a shared document, so it needs to be signed by both you and your employer, get their sign-off early so nothing stalls
- Support arrangements and your Mentor, Trainer and Assessor are set up the same way as any other enrolment
- For anything to do with your actual employment, start with your employer, then NSW State Training Services on 13 28 11 or your Apprenticeship Network provider on 1300 650 755
Funding & eligibilitySmart and Skilled, in brief
- To qualify, you'll generally need to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or NZ citizen, aged 15 or over, have left school, and live or work in NSW
- Funding covers government-subsidised training up to and including Certificate III, and higher-level courses in targeted priority areas
- Not sure if you're eligible? Your AWS Consultant will check it with you directly, there's no need to work it out yourself
- Some tasks may need your supervisor's sign-off, so keep them looped in on what's coming up in your Training Plan
Ready to get started?
Have a question before you enrol, or already mid-way through the process? Either way, get in touch.
Talk to Student Administration Ask about traineeships