Published 31 Mar 2023

How to Get Your White Card in Melbourne

Michael Yi

If you are an aspiring construction tradie, you need a white card (also known as Victorian Construction Induction Card) as required by Worksafe Victoria.

Obtaining this white card requires a general Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) construction induction training. This card is required for anyone conducting construction work or conducting tasks on a construction site.

‘Red card’ holders validated before 1 July 2008 are grandfathered in and do not need to complete white card training. However, an employer may have a preference for a ‘white card’ holder.

As is the case with most legislative requirements, only Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are authorised to deliver white card training courses.

What is a white card course?

CPCCWHS1001 Prepare to work safely in the construction industry’ training includes:

Health and safety legislative requirements of construction work
Duty of care
Construction hazards and basic principles of risk management as well as control measures
Use of Personal Protective Equipment
Emergency response (communication and reporting)

Upon successful completion, you should understand what control measures you should expect from the employer / site manager, what duty of care you will be personally accountable for, and how to minimise occupational health and safety hazards.

In Victoria, you must attend a face-to-face training in Victoria to receive a WorkSafe Victoria issued white card. A certificate from online courses might not be accepted by certain employers.

Retraining and renewal of the white card is required if you have been out of the industry for two consecutive years. While you often receive both a statement of attainment and a plastic card after successful completion of any white card course, Victorian Building Asociation only accepts the plastic white card if you are pursuing the Owner Builder licence.

Which RTO-provided training programs are available in Melbourne?

There are many RTO-provided white card courses in Melbourne or Victoria. Most of them will require a short verbal test at the end to assess your knowledge level before issuing a statement of attainment and white card. Thus, there are minimum literacy and numeracy requirements to enrol in the program:

Able to understand and apply safe work methods and guidelines
Able to articulate issues and needs clearly
Able to complete written and required documentation such as risk assessments

The final step is to find the right training provider based on reputation, training faculties, and additional support/resources to help you get the most out of your training.

White Card – at CBD College Melbourne

What they offer:

One day face-to-face workshop led by Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) experts
No prerequisites
4 locations in Melbourne

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Cove Training

What they offer:

One day (6.5 hours) of in-person training
$120 course fee
(not MHFA accredited)

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Edway Training

What they offer:

6-hour classroom training
$130 course fee
Offers private group training programs in Sydney, NSW and Melbourne, VIC

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AlertForce

What they offer:

1-day training
$120 course fee
Pre-course materials shared upon registration
Offers many other courses relevant to the construction industry such as Confined Space Training, Working at Heights Training, etc.

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MultiSkills Training

What they offer:

1-day class in a smaller, more intimate group setting
$130 course fee with theory re-assessment fee of $50 (verbal and written assessment)
Not CRICOS approved

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Master Builders Victoria

What they offer:

1-day training from 8:30am to 4:30pm
$245 course fee for non-members
Industry veteran trainers (from OHS)

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Keep in mind that there are identification requirements for each program that may be slightly different. They normally only accept a current Australian or New Zealand passport or Australian driver’s licence. If you are a visa holder, you most likely will have to find an RTO that is CRICOS approved.