Apprenticeship trades, by licensing

Refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic

4-year apprenticeship - UEE32220

Licensed trade installing and servicing refrigeration and air-conditioning plant. Federal ARCtick licence required to handle refrigerant.

Light vehicle mechanic

4-year apprenticeship - AUR30620

Automotive trade diagnosing, servicing and repairing cars and light commercial vehicles. Motor-vehicle repair licensing applies to businesses across most states.

Diesel mechanic

4-year apprenticeship - AUR31120

Heavy-vehicle trade diagnosing and repairing diesel-powered trucks, buses, plant and earth-moving equipment.

Electrician

4-year apprenticeship - UEE30820

Licensed trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring, fittings, switchboards and motors. Requires a state electrical licence on top of the apprenticeship Cert III.

Plumber

4-year apprenticeship - CPC32420

Licensed trade installing and maintaining water, sanitary, gas-fitting, roof and mechanical services. Requires a state plumber licence on top of the apprenticeship Cert III.

Boilermaker

4-year apprenticeship - MEM30322

Heavy fabrication trade making and repairing pressure vessels, tanks and structural steel. Overlaps with welding and metal fabrication.

Bricklayer

3-year apprenticeship - CPC33020

Construction trade laying bricks, blocks and stone for walls and other structures.

Cabinet maker

4-year apprenticeship - MSF31113

Joinery trade designing and making fitted cabinetry, kitchens and built-in furniture.

Carpenter

4-year apprenticeship - CPC30220

Construction trade framing, fixing and finishing timber structures. Not licensed in most states for non-structural work, but contractor licences apply above set thresholds in QLD and TAS.

Chef

3-year apprenticeship - SIT30821

Hospitality trade preparing and producing food in commercial kitchens. Not a licensed trade, but food-safety supervisor training is required for the head-chef role in every state.

Concreter

3-year apprenticeship - CPC30320

Construction trade placing and finishing concrete for slabs, footings, driveways and decorative surfaces.

Fitter and turner

4-year apprenticeship - MEM30219

Engineering trade making, assembling and maintaining mechanical components on lathes, mills and CNC machines.

Florist

3-year apprenticeship - AHC30722

Personal-services trade designing and producing floral arrangements for retail, events and special occasions.

Hairdresser

3-year apprenticeship - SHB30416

Personal-services trade cutting, colouring and styling hair. Not licensed in any Australian jurisdiction, but salon business registration applies.

Landscape gardener

3-year apprenticeship - AHC30722

Trade designing, constructing and maintaining outdoor landscape features, planting and irrigation.

Painter and decorator

3-year apprenticeship - CPC30620

Trade preparing surfaces and applying paint, wallpaper and decorative finishes to interior and exterior surfaces.

Roof tiler

3-year apprenticeship - CPC32612

Construction trade installing terracotta, concrete and metal roof tiles, plus associated waterproofing and flashing.

Wall and floor tiler

3-year apprenticeship - CPC31320

Trade preparing surfaces and laying ceramic, stone and similar tiles. Waterproofing units inside the Cert III are required for licensed wet-area work.

Welder

4-year apprenticeship - MEM30322

Engineering trade joining metal components by manual and machine welding. Strong demand across construction, mining, transport and manufacturing.