Small specialist apprenticeship training centre

Employers of apprentices, plus state and territory government funding or Commonwealth incentives where your courses and students qualify.

Course fees per apprentice, and government funding paid per enrolment or completion where you are an approved provider. Revenue builds as you enrol more apprentices and keep them to completion.

• Strong trade or industry background
• Training and assessing
• Record keeping and compliance
• Building relationships with employers

• RTO registration with ASQA (or your state regulator) involves a detailed application, fees and ongoing audits, so check current requirements
• Trainers and assessors generally need set qualifications and current industry skills, so check the standards
• Government funding rules differ by state and territory and change often, so check with your state training authority
• Public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and workplace health and safety in workshops
• Slow start: approval can take many months before you earn anything

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $20,000 to $80,000, depending on your premises, workshop setup and registration costs. Approval can take many months, so plan to cover your costs before any income arrives.

Check current RTO registration requirements with ASQA or your state regulator, including the application, fees and ongoing audits. Also check trainer and assessor qualification standards, state funding rules, insurance (public liability and professional indemnity) and workshop health and safety.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue is typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on your trade, apprentice numbers and whether your courses qualify for government funding. Expect to put in at least about 30 hours a week.