What trades can you do as a mining apprentice?
Trade names vary between employers. The clearest list we found on a miner’s own site is Fortescue’s. It says its apprenticeship and traineeship programs run for a structured training period of 12 months to 4 years, with on-the-job training plus classroom TAFE and offsite development leading to a nationally recognised trade qualification. We read that page on 10 October 2026.
| Trade | Where it is named |
|---|---|
| Electrician | Fortescue programs page. The Queensland Government also names electricians as a restricted calling for under 18s. |
| Heavy vehicle mechanic | Fortescue programs page. |
| Fixed plant mechanic | Fortescue programs page. |
| Fabricator | Fortescue programs page. |
| Light vehicle mechanic | Fortescue programs page. The Queensland Government names automotive mechanics as a restricted calling for under 18s. |
Jobs and Skills WA says apprenticeships are offered in trade areas such as engineering and metal fabrication, automotive and mechanical, building and construction, hairdressing and cookery. Other miners and maintenance contractors list trades on their own careers pages, and the same trade can carry a different job title at each employer. Match the qualification on the training contract, not just the title. Fortescue also says apprentices are rotated around its sites.
Fortescue’s page showed no open apprenticeship positions when we read it on 10 October 2026, and programs open and close through the year. Check the page itself: Fortescue apprenticeship programs.
How do you apply for a mining apprenticeship?
Jobs and Skills WA describes the Western Australian process in steps. We have summarised it here and you should read the page itself for the current version: Jobs and Skills WA: apprenticeships and traineeships.
- Explore the trade. Jobs and Skills WA points to its career exploration section and course search to see which qualifications are available as apprenticeships.
- Find an employer. The page lists the Jobs and Skills WA Jobs Board, your local Jobs and Skills Centre, the three Apprentice Connect Australia Providers (ACAPs) in WA, and employers and Group Training Organisations advertising on Seek and other job platforms.
- Choose an ACAP. Once you have an apprenticeship, an ACAP works with you and your employer to sign the training contract application, which it lodges with the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
- Registration. The application passes to the WA Apprenticeship Office, which registers training contracts and regulates the apprenticeship system in Western Australia.
For a national starting point, the Australian Government runs an apprenticeships site at apprenticeships.gov.au. That site loads its content with scripts, so we could not read what it contains and make no claims about it beyond the link. For other states, use that state’s own apprenticeship office.
What are the requirements?
There is no single national rulebook on this page, because states set the details. The Queensland Government publishes these general requirements (page last updated 10 June 2025, read 10 October 2026):
- Age. It says the minimum age depends on the industry and the type of apprenticeship, and is generally 13 years old for most jobs and industries, 15 (Year 10 to 12) for school-based apprenticeships, and 16 (Year 11 to 12) for school-based electrotechnology apprenticeships. Some jobs have higher limits, and it tells you to contact Apprenticeships Info for your chosen apprenticeship.
- Under 18. For some jobs, called restricted callings, an under-18 must be employed as an apprentice or trainee or have completed one. It gives automotive mechanics and electricians as examples.
- Work rights. You can be an apprentice or trainee in Queensland if you are an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, or have a valid passport and visa that allows you to work.
- Regular work. Apprentices must be offered regular work. Workplaces that can only offer irregular, casual or intermittent work are generally not approved.
- Hours. About 38 hours a week if full-time, at least 15 if part-time.
- Queensland workplace. Your everyday workplace and employer must be based in Queensland, though you can live outside the state or work interstate temporarily.
Source: Queensland Government requirements page. Many mining apprenticeships also ask for a licence, a medical or site inductions, and some roles are FIFO. Those are set by the employer, so ask. Our tickets and certificates directory shows what common site tickets involve, and the FIFO guide covers rosters.
What do mining apprentices get paid?
These are award minimums from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the Mining Industry Award [MA000011], published 24 June 2026, applying from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. We read the PDF on 10 October 2026. The figures are ordinary hourly rates for apprentices who started after 1 January 2014 and include the industry allowance. The pay guide says apprentices who started before 1 January 2014 should be checked with the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool instead.
| Year of apprenticeship | Did not complete year 12 | Completed year 12 | Adult apprentice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $15.82 an hour | $17.29 an hour | $24.65 an hour |
| 2nd year | $18.76 an hour | $20.23 an hour | $27.53 an hour |
| 3rd year | $23.18 an hour | $23.18 an hour | $27.53 an hour |
| 4th year | $27.01 an hour | $27.01 an hour | $27.53 an hour |
The pay guide also lists, for the award generally, a full-time tool allowance of $17.86 a week, and reimbursement of training fees and prescribed textbook costs and of excess reasonable travel costs to block release training. Whether and how each applies to your apprenticeship depends on your contract and employer, so check the award and your offer. Overtime, shift and weekend penalty rates are in the same PDF. See the pay guide for them: Fair Work pay guide MA000011 (PDF), and the award text at awards.fairwork.gov.au.
Do not read the table as what a mine pays. Many employers pay above the award through enterprise agreements, and we have no verified employer figures to show. For adult full-time rates by level see our mining salaries guide, or run the numbers in the salary calculator.
Where do you look for a mining apprenticeship?
Start with the miners’ own careers pages and the maintenance contractors that service them. These links load as at 10 October 2026. We could only confirm apprenticeship content on Fortescue’s page, so for the others look for early careers or apprenticeship sections yourself:
- Fortescue: graduate, vacation and apprenticeship programs
- BHP careers portal
- Rio Tinto careers
- Mineral Resources careers
- South32 careers
- Hancock Iron Ore: join us
Browse more in our mining company directory. If you are not set on a trade, our guide to mining jobs with no experience covers entry roles that do not need a qualification.
Frequently asked questions
What trades can you do as a mining apprentice?
It depends on the employer. Fortescue, for example, says its apprenticeship and traineeship programs cover electricians, heavy vehicle mechanics, fixed plant mechanics, fabricators and light vehicle mechanics (read 10 October 2026). Other miners and contractors run their own lists, so check each careers page.
How long is a mining apprenticeship?
Fortescue describes a structured training period of 12 months to 4 years, and Jobs and Skills WA says apprenticeships typically take three or four years. The length for your trade is set in your training contract.
How much does a mining apprentice earn?
The Mining Industry Award sets minimum hourly rates by year of apprenticeship. From 1 July 2026 a first-year apprentice who did not complete year 12 has an award minimum of $15.82 an hour, and a fourth-year apprentice $27.01 an hour. Many employers pay more than the award, so read your offer and the current pay guide.
Do you have to live in the state to start an apprenticeship?
In Queensland, the Queensland Government says your everyday workplace and employer must be based in Queensland, although you can live outside the state or work interstate temporarily. Check the rules for your state with its apprenticeship office.
Who signs up the apprenticeship in Western Australia?
Jobs and Skills WA says that once you have an apprenticeship, you choose an Apprentice Connect Australia Provider (ACAP), which works with you and your employer on the training contract application. The training contract is then registered by the Apprenticeship Office.
Where do FIFO apprentices fit in?
Some employers rotate apprentices across sites, and Fortescue says its apprentices are rotated around its sites. Whether a role is residential, FIFO or workshop-based is set by the employer, so ask before you accept. See our FIFO guide for how rosters work.
Sources
Last updated 10 October 2026. Facts on this page come from the sources below.
- Fortescue careers: Graduate, Vacation and Apprenticeship Programs (read 10 October 2026)
- Jobs and Skills WA (Department of Training and Workforce Development): Apprenticeships and traineeships (page last updated 27 March 2026, read 10 October 2026)
- Queensland Government: Know the requirements to be an apprentice or trainee (page last updated 10 June 2025, read 10 October 2026)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Pay Guide, Mining Industry Award [MA000011], published 24 June 2026, rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 (PDF, read 10 October 2026)
- Fair Work Commission: Mining Industry Award 2020 [MA000011]
Pay rates are the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide minimums for the Mining Industry Award, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. They change each year, and an enterprise agreement or contract can set higher pay. We did not find employer pay figures we could verify, so none are shown. Apprenticeship rules are set by each state, so confirm with your state apprenticeship office before you sign anything.
Where to next
- How to get into mining Pathways beyond trades.
- Mining jobs with no experience Entry roles and how to apply.
- Mining jobs in WA Regions, employers and tickets.
- Mining jobs in Queensland Coal, Standard 11 and employers.
- Mining salaries in Australia Award minimum rates and how pay is set.
- Salary calculator Work out pay from award rates.
Not sure where to start?
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