Do employers have to pay for training in Australia?

If you are an employee and the training is part of your job, Fair Work says the training time is time worked and must be paid. Ask for the employment type, pay rate and award or agreement before attending compulsory training.

Can a job ask me to work an unpaid trial shift?

A short unpaid trial may be allowed when it is needed to demonstrate relevant skills, lasts only as long as necessary and is directly supervised. Ordinary productive work, repeated shifts or work that goes beyond the demonstration may need to be paid.

Are commission-only jobs legal in Australia?

Commission-only pay can be lawful in some situations, but an award or registered agreement may need to allow it and minimum pay protections still apply in the relevant circumstances. Ask for the commission formula, payment timing and the award or agreement in writing.

What is an unpaid vocational placement?

It is a formal placement connected to an approved education or training course. It can be unpaid when it is required by the course, there is no entitlement to pay and the other Fair Work conditions are met.

Should I pay for training before starting a job?

Treat an upfront recruitment fee, paid training material, deposit or request to top up an account as a serious warning sign. Scamwatch advises job seekers not to pay money to make money and to verify the recruiter through contact details found independently.

Jobs with no experience training provided: check the ad

A genuine job that provides training to people with no experience should tell you who employs you, what you will do, and how you will be paid. If an ad is vague about pay, asks you to pay first, or calls regular productive work a trial, pause and check the arrangement before applying.

Are jobs with no experience and training provided paid?

A real entry-level job can include paid training, because Fair Work says an employee doing on-the-job, online, formal or team training as part of their job must be paid for that time. The ad or employer should be able to explain the employment type, expected hours, duties, pay rate and the award or registered agreement that applies.

An award is a legal set of minimum pay and conditions for many industries and occupations. For example, a warehouse applicant could ask whether the role is casual or permanent, which award classification applies, whether induction is paid, and when the first pay will arrive.

Read this first

Training provided does not mean the same thing as paid employment. Ask whether you are being hired as an employee before you attend an induction, complete online modules or work a rostered shift.

The clearest sign is a written answer to basic job questions, not a promise about future earnings. Look for a named employer, a real workplace or clear business address, the actual duties, the person supervising you, and a way to ask about pay before you supply sensitive identity documents.

What is the difference between paid training, commission-only work, an unpaid trial and a placement?

Purpose and control help identify the arrangement, but the label in the ad is not enough. Compare these features before you agree to attend.

Arrangement	What you should be able to confirm	Pay and risk check
Paid entry-level role with training	The employer, duties, hours, employment type and training plan	Training that is part of the employee’s job is paid work
Commission-only employee	What you sell, how commission is calculated, when it is paid, and which award or agreement applies	Commission-only pay can have to follow an award or agreement; employees still have minimum pay protections in the relevant circumstances
Unpaid skills trial	A short task that shows relevant skills, with direct supervision	It may be unpaid only for as long as needed to demonstrate the skills, not for ordinary productive shifts
Formal vocational placement	An approved education or training course requires the placement and there is no entitlement to pay	It can be unpaid when the Fair Work conditions are met; it is not simply any job labelled an internship

Commission is payment linked to sales. A retail applicant should ask for the written formula and check the award or agreement, rather than relying on a headline such as “uncapped income”.

Tip

Copy the ad into a note and highlight every word about pay, bonus, training and fees. At the interview, ask the employer to explain each highlighted term in plain language, then keep the answer with your application records.

Is an unpaid trial shift legal in Australia?

A coffee maker is making a cup of coffee — Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

An unpaid trial may be lawful only when it is necessary, brief and supervised. Fair Work says work beyond what is reasonably needed to demonstrate relevant skills must be paid.

A normal shift is different from a skills demonstration. If a café asks a barista applicant to serve customers, open the shop or cover a roster, that points towards productive work. Ask what skill will be assessed, how long it will take and who will supervise it.

Before

Illustration only: “Work a few unpaid shifts so we can see if you fit in.”

After

Illustration only: “Complete a supervised 30-minute coffee-making task to demonstrate the listed drink skills; any further work will be paid under the agreed employment terms.”

Probation is paid employment, not an unpaid trial. An employer can assess a candidate as a casual and pay for the hours worked.

When can a formal placement be unpaid?

A vocational placement is a course-based arrangement, not simply an unpaid job. It can be unpaid when an approved course requires it and the student has no entitlement to pay.

The course connection matters, so a nursing student on a required placement is in a different position from someone who has finished studying and answers an ad for months of unpaid ward work. Set duties and normal work hours are reasons to ask whether the second person is an employee.

Work experience and internships need the same check. Unpaid work may be allowed when there is no employment relationship and the main benefit is learning, but productive work may need to be paid. Ask the provider or Fair Work before agreeing.

What red flags show that a training job may be a scam?

Never pay money to start a job or unlock its earnings. Scamwatch flags recruitment fees, paid training materials, cryptocurrency top-ups, quick hiring without an interview, and requests to transfer money or receive packages.

A trusted job website is not proof that every ad is genuine. A remote admin applicant should find the organisation’s official website independently and call a number published there, not rely on an unexpected link or phone number.

Protect your identity as well as your money. Verify the employer before sending identity documents or bank details. If the role involves moving money through your personal account, stop and seek advice.

How should you apply when you have no experience?

Man in grey crew-neck t-shirt smiling to woman on counter — Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Show readiness without claiming experience you do not have. A warehouse applicant can point to safe manual handling at home, volunteer stock sorting, punctuality or learning a scanner quickly, while clearly labelling that evidence.

Match the ad’s training requirements to your next step. If a construction ad asks for a white card or hospitality ad asks for an RSA, check the relevant state or territory pathway rather than implying you already hold it.

Copy and fill in

“I am applying for the [ROLE] because I can bring [TRANSFERABLE SKILL] from [EXAMPLE], and I am ready to complete [TRAINING OR LICENCE] before [START DATE].”

Filled in

“I am applying for the warehouse storeperson role because I can bring careful stock checking from weekly community food-bank sorting, and I am ready to complete the employer’s induction before starting.”

A clear application can be honest about a gap. A referee is someone an employer can contact about your reliability or work, so ask their permission before listing one. Want an honest check of which parts of your background match the ad? Check your fit for free with Job Harbour, which shows what the ad asks for that your resume does not yet show.

What should you ask before accepting a training job?

Ask for the terms in writing before you commit to a shift or course. Use these questions in order:

Step 1: Who is the legal employer, and where will I work?
Step 2: Am I an employee, a contractor, a student on a formal placement, or a volunteer?
Step 3: What are the duties, hours, employment type, pay rate, pay cycle and training hours?
Step 4: Which award or registered agreement applies, and what is my classification?
Step 5: Is any trial unpaid, what exact skill will it assess, how long will it last and who will supervise me?
Step 6: Do I pay anything before starting, buy equipment, recruit others, transfer money or use my bank account?

The answer should be specific enough to compare with the ad. If the recruiter will not identify the employer, avoids the pay question, changes the role after you ask about duties, or pressures you to decide immediately, keep looking. Job Harbour can tailor your existing resume and write a matching cover letter for a verified ad without adding experience you do not have.

How can Job Harbour help you check the application?

A fit check can separate a missing qualification from a skill you already have elsewhere. For example, it can help a barista describe customer service and cash handling without claiming café experience.

Tailoring still matters when training is promised. Put the ad’s duties, safety requirements and teamwork skills near the top of your existing resume without adding experience you do not have.

Keep a master resume for accurate applications. Job Harbour keeps it in a Career Profile, so you can choose updates instead of rebuilding your work history.

Where to start this week

Step 1: Save three training-provided ads and write down the employer, duties, hours, pay wording and any fee request.
Step 2: Send the six questions above to each employer before accepting a trial or induction.
Step 3: Check Fair Work’s guidance on unpaid trials, commission payments and vocational placements for the arrangement you are considering.
Step 4: Add the free Send to Job Harbour button if you use SEEK, LinkedIn or Indeed, then send one verified ad for a fit check.