White Card Melbourne

If you're looking to work in the construction industry in Melbourne, you will need a White Card by completing a construction induction training. The White Card is also referred to as a construction induction card.

Jump straight to the Melbourne White Card training providers to book your course

What is a Victorian White Card?

A White Card is evidence that you have completed mandatory general construction induction training (known as the White Card course) and are allow to enter and perform work on Australian construction sites. It is a license that you must have on yourself at all time when accessing and performing work on construction sites.

The White Card course is nationally recognised training and the cards can be used for work across borders. By completing a Victorian White Card course in Melbourne, you are free to work in any Australian state or territory.

How do I get a White Card in Melbourne?

In order to get your White Card, you must complete the unit of competency CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Upon successful completion of the construction induction training course, the RTO will issue a Statement of Attainment for the aforementioned unit of competency. Further to that, WorkSafe Victoria will post a physical White Card (pictured above) to your nominated delivery address. According to WorkSafe Victoria, the card should arrive within 2 weeks (should be quicker if completing the White Card course in Melbourne, as the WorkSafe VIC offices are also located in Melbourne).

While you are waiting for your card to arrive, you can use the Statement of Attainment as evidence of training to gain access to construction sites and start construction work straight away.

When looking for an RTO to undertake your White Card training with in Melbourne, we recommend comparing the following:

• Price of the training
• Training location
• Parking
• Customer reviews

Parking is often overlooked and can end up costing more than the course itself. With the course taking up to 8 hours, the parking fees can add up very quickly, especially around the Melbourne CBD.

To get you started quickly, we've compiled a list of Melbourne training providers (ordered by price) with the comparison criteria listed above:

Can you get a White Card online in Victoria?

No, not sine 2019. The White Card course must be completed face to face (classroom setting) in Melbourne and the rest of Victoria as of 2024.

A little bit of history about online training: The Victorian Government actually never allowed White Card courses to be completed online. Queensland however allowed anyone in Australia to complete the QLD White Card course online in the past. With the cards being nationally recognised, Victoria residents could simply complete the QLD White Card course to avoid local restrictions. In 2019, WorkSafe QLD aligned itself with most other states and now requires the training to be completed face to face, effectively closing this loophole for Melbourne and Victorian residents.

As of 2024, the only two states allowing the White Card course to be conducted online are Western Australia (WA) and Tasmania (TAS), however only for state residents, which won't help anyone in Melbourne or Victoria.

This loophole was particularly popular amongst Backpackers needing a White Card in Victoria, and many scam websites offering online White Card courses for cheap have propped up since the change.

Please note that the unit of competency CPCCWHS1001 - prepare tow work safely in the construction industry does not specify delivery criteria, the face to face requirement boils down to WorkSafe Victoria licensing.

A timeline of the changes to online White Card courses for each state can be seen here.

Who needs a White Card and what does the course teach?

Anyone needing to enter construction sites will need to complete their White Card training. As such, this includes pretty much anyone working in the construction industry:

• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Bricklayers
• Carpenters
• Painters
• Labourers
• Cleaners
• Project managers

The course typically takes between 6 to 8 hours, depending on the RTO delivering the training. WorkSafe VIC licensing requires the course to run for a minimum of 6 hours. The course teaches basic work health and safety subjects that benefit anyone on construction sites. Here are some of the subjects covered by the CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry training session:

• recognising hazards
• mitigating risks
• who to speak to if you have questions or concerns
• what do to in case of an emergency or accident
• which extinguisher to use depending on the type of fire
• when to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• signage used on Australian construction sites
• understanding labels and tags used on tools and machinery
• how to stay safe from the dangers of the sun & humidity
• how to identify and handle asbestos

As part of your training, you will also be taught when and how to properly fit and wear the following pieces of PPE:

• Hard hat
• Earmuffs or plugs
• Safety glasses or goggles
• Retro-reflective vest

The course serves as general construction induction training and must be complemented by site-specific training prior to entering a construction site. This extra training is provided by the Person Conducting the Business or Undertaking (PCBU) and covers site-specific topics such as procedures or additional PPE required onsite that are unique to the construction site.

PCBUs may include authorities, contractors, companies and manufacturers. Genrally speaking, they are the entity in charge of the project. There may be more than one PCBU, and they will share the primary responsibility for workplace health and safety.

The White Card training package is developed by Artbibus. You can view the whole training package on training.gov.au.

The training package is

Victoria White Card course requirements

To complete a White Card training course in Victoria, participants must be at least 14 years of age. They will also need to bring photo identification (Passport, Driver's license etc) to the training.

Further to photo identification, students must bring their Unique Student Identifier (USI). USIs can be created for free using the Government USI portal. Creating a USI takes between 5 to 10 minutes.

Students need basic language literacy (English) and numeracy skills to successfully complete the training. The CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry unit of competency is rated level 1 by the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF). The AQF levels range from level 1 (basic induction training) to level 10 (doctorate).

The course has a written, a verbal and a demonstration component as part of the assessment.

Note that RTOs must be on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) in order to deliver the White Card training course to anyone on a Student Visa. If you are on a Student Visa in Melbourne, make sure to clarify this requirement with the RTO prior to booking your Whitecard course. You can find RTOs that hold CRICOS registration here.

As the course is an education expense, it can be claimed on your tax return, so make sure to keep the receipt after booking your training.

What to wear for your White Card training course

We recommend wearing plain-clothes as the training is classroom-based and you want to be comfortable to sit through the course (6-8 hours). Some RTOs ask participants to wear closed-toe shoes, however you do not need to bring PPE as the RTO will provide everything required to complete the construction induction training an obtain your White Card.

Lost White Card replacement

If you lost or damaged your White Card, WorkSafe VIC can issue a replacement card. They will need the following details to get started:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Current postal / Residential address
• A previous address which you believe would be on their records
• White Card number of lost / damaged card

To start the replacement process, contact WorkSafe VIC on this number: 1300 852 562

As you can imagine, knowing the number of your lost White Card can be tricky, so we recommend that you save your card number electronically when you receive your White Card. It will save you potential hassle down the road!

We also recommend that you save the Statement of Attainment for the unit of competency CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry electronically if a paper copy was issued.