Free Apprenticeships for Under 25s
Apprentices and trainees under 25 can complete selected qualifications with no student contribution fee at all. Not a discount, not a concession rate. Nothing.
At a glance
- Under 25 before entering the training contract
- No longer enrolled at school
- Employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee
- $0 student contribution fee
- Must commence or recommence by 30 June 2027
Earn while you learn, without the training fee.
Free Apprenticeships for Under 25s is part of the Queensland Government's Free TAFE initiatives. It fully subsidises training for young people who commence in a priority apprenticeship or traineeship qualification, so there is no student contribution fee to pay.
You are employed, you earn a wage, and you train towards a nationally recognised qualification. The Queensland Government covers what a student would normally contribute.
$0 student contribution
Under Career Start and Career Boost, apprentices and trainees normally pay $1.60 per nominal training hour. Under this program, eligible under 25s pay nothing. On a certificate III that difference runs into hundreds of dollars.
Who can access it?
Eligibility is set by the Queensland Government. All of the following must apply.
You must
- Be aged under 25 before entering into the training contract, whether you are commencing or recommencing
- Be currently employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee under a registered training contract
- Be training in a qualification funded through this program
- Commence or recommence between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2027
You must not
- Still be enrolled at school
- Currently be enrolled in another qualification
- Have already completed two government-funded apprenticeships or traineeships within the last 10 years
Qualifications this may apply to
Free Apprenticeships covers priority apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications listed on the Queensland Subsidised Training List. These are the apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications Horizon2 is approved to deliver.
| Qualification | Pathway | Suited to |
|---|---|---|
| CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) | Traineeship | Working in residential aged care or home care |
| CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) | Traineeship | Supporting people with disability |
| CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Community Care) | Traineeship | Home and community care support roles |
| CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care | Traineeship | Educator roles in long day care and early learning. New enrolments close 21 December 2026 |
| CHC50125 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care | Apprenticeship | Room leader and educational leader roles |
Taking on a trainee under 25
If you are hiring young workers into care roles, this removes the training fee from the equation entirely.
What you provide
- Employment under a registered training contract
- Adequate facilities and range of work
- Supervision and on-the-job training
- Time for training as set out in the training plan
What we provide
- Review of your employment arrangements
- An Employer Resource Assessment
- A training plan built with you and the trainee
- Delivery of all training and assessment, with no third parties involved
What it costs
Nothing in student contribution fees for an eligible under 25. If a school-based apprentice or trainee converts to a full-time or part-time arrangement, co-contribution fees would normally apply to units not yet commenced, but that does not apply to qualifications funded under this program.
Common questions
Is it actually free, or just cheaper?
There is no student contribution fee for eligible under 25s in a covered qualification. Under Career Start or Career Boost the same trainee would normally pay $1.60 per nominal training hour.
I turn 25 during my traineeship. Does that matter?
The age test applies before you enter into the training contract. If you were under 25 at that point and everything else checks out, turning 25 partway through does not remove your eligibility.
I did a school-based traineeship. Can I still access this?
Possibly. A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship uses one of the two government-funded apprenticeships or traineeships available to you in a 10-year period, so you would have one left. Talk to us and we will check your history.
Can I do this while studying something else?
No. You cannot currently be enrolled in another qualification, and you can only be funded for one apprenticeship or traineeship at a time.
I do not have an employer yet. What now?
This program requires you to already be employed under a registered training contract. If you are not employed yet, Career Start may be the better route, since it includes a general training pathway that does not require an employer.
Check whether this applies to you.
Call us before a training contract is signed and we will confirm eligibility, the qualification and what it will cost. Which for most eligible under 25s is nothing.