Suspension of an apprenticeship or traineeship by consent

Issued: 20 December 2001
Reviewed: 25 June 2025

1. Agreement between the parties (the employer and apprentice or trainee) to a suspension of their Training Contract obligations under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act, 2001 (the Act) must be mutual.
2. An application to suspend an apprenticeship or traineeship form (VT13) is to be used to facilitate the administration of a request to suspend a Training Contract and to ensure the parties to the agreement have access to their obligations and responsibilities under the terms of the agreement.
3. ALL details required on the form are to be completed.
4. Initial suspensions should not exceed three (3) months unless the period of suspension is for circumstances where the parties are unable to meet the conditions set down in the VT13 at item 2. Eg. extended leave, illness, parental leave, workers compensation etc.
5. Consecutive suspensions beyond a total of six (6) months absence for reasons such as lack of work should be discouraged. Where the parties insist on such arrangements the matter is to be referred to the Commissioner by an Industry Training Officer.
6. A copy of the completed VT13 form must be attached to the apprentice's or trainee's (learner's) file.
7. Industry Training Officers are to be advised of all suspension agreements by the parties.
8. A copy of the suspension agreement (VT13) is to be maintained with a register of suspensions in each Training Services office and made available to the Commissioner on request.
9. All suspensions by consent must be reviewed by an Industry Training Officer prior to the scheduled date for a return to work to ascertain whether the parties have met their obligations in relation to the conditions of the suspension and to advise them, if necessary, in relation to further suspending their obligations under the Act.
10. Suspensions exceeding six (6) months must be referred by an Industry Training Officer to the Commissioner for review.
11. Where a suspension has no adverse effect on the learner's progress, the time lost through suspension may be accepted as time served towards the apprenticeship or traineeship.
12. Where any time lost through suspension adversely affects the progress of the learner in developing their skills, time lost may be added by extending the term of the Training Contract. Extensions of term require the mutual consent of the employer and the learner, and requests to extend the term must be made separately on an application to vary an apprenticeship or traineeship (VT2) form or
13. Where the parties are unable to meet their obligations for a set period of time learners must not be pressured by their employer to exhaust accrued leave entitlements rather than enter a suspension arrangement.
14. Both parties to the suspension agreement are obligated to undertake any provision prescribed in the suspension form (VT13).
15. In all cases either party may notify the Commissioner within 7 days from lodgement that they withdraw their consent to the suspension.

The Commissioner for Vocational Training

Related information

• Alter, cancel, amend, suspend a Training Contract
• Apprentices and trainees