Can I do my White Card online?
Tasmania and WA run self-paced White Card training online. NSW, SA and the ACT run live classes over Zoom. Here is how each White Card course works.
Written byEdway
The short answer
In most states, yes. It depends on the state where you train. In Tasmania and Western Australia the White Card course is online and self-paced.
In New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory it runs as a live online class over Zoom. New South Wales also has classroom classes. In Victoria, Edway's course runs in a classroom.
Getting your White Card opens up opportunities to work in roles like labourer, trades assistant and apprentice. Every one of them needs this card before you start, so it pays to get it sorted quickly.
Two kinds of White Card training online
Self-paced online means you work through the modules in your own time. You pick when you study, and you can fit it around work and family.
A live online class gives you a trainer without the travel. It is a real-time class over Zoom with a qualified trainer, and you complete the assessment in the session, the same as a classroom day.
The state decides which one you get. Either way, this construction induction training covers your work health and safety duties, spotting construction hazards, controlling risks, site safety communication and reporting, and incident and emergency response.
Self-paced White Card course online: Tasmania and WA
Tasmania and Western Australia are the two states where you can start straight away and study at your own pace. Most people finish in around 6.5 hours.
Your enrolment stays open for 2 months, counted from the date of your confirmation email. If you do not finish inside that window, your enrolment is recorded as not completed and the fee is not refunded.
Two things to know before you book:
- Western Australia is for Western Australian residents. You provide evidence of that when you enrol, and you need to be in Western Australia when you complete your assessment.
- Tasmania has a step after the course. You apply for your card in person at Service Tasmania within 60 days of finishing, and WorkSafe Tasmania issues it.
White Card ACT, NSW and SA: live classes over Zoom
New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory run live online classes. You join a trainer over Zoom for about 6.5 hours including breaks, and you finish the assessment in the session.
You need a computer or tablet with a webcam and microphone. Your camera stays on, and your identity is checked on camera.
In New South Wales the training must be trainer-led and in real time, whether that is a classroom or a live virtual classroom. A self-paced online-only White Card course is not permitted there, under the SafeWork NSW conditions for registered training organisations. You also need to be in New South Wales during a Zoom class.
A live class gives you everything the classroom does. Both are trainer-led, both are assessed, and both lead to the same card. You just do it from home.
New South Wales training is delivered by Training Aid Australia (RTO 91411). The other states are delivered by Edway Training (RTO 91401).
Do I need PPE for an online White Card course?
What you bring depends on how you train. For an in-person class, wear enclosed footwear.
For a live Zoom class from home, your checklist is your setup instead. Have a computer or tablet with a webcam and microphone, keep your camera on for the whole class, and have your photo identification ready for the identity check on camera.
Why does a White Card in the ACT matter for your construction career?
Your White Card is the first ticket construction employers in the Australian Capital Territory ask for. It opens up labourer, trades assistant and apprentice roles, and every task ticket you add later builds on it.
In the Australian Capital Territory you train in a live Zoom class from home, with a trainer, and finish your assessment in the session. Then you apply for your card and start building your career.
White Card course Melbourne runs in a classroom
Edway's Victorian White Card course is a classroom course, at Melbourne or Hallam. You spend the day learning alongside a trainer and other students.
Victoria also has an online Red Card transfer, for people who already hold a Victorian Red Card issued before 1 July 2008. That is a transfer of an existing card, separate from the White Card course.
Before you book
Wherever you train, you need valid photo identification, a Unique Student Identifier (USI) and enough English to take part. After booking, you complete a short language, literacy, numeracy and digital check in your student account.
Your card is recognised across Australia whichever state you train in. There is generally no fixed expiry, but it lapses if you are out of construction work for 2 or more years.
Next step
Choose your state on the White Card course page to see how the course is delivered where you are, and what you receive. Book your White Card training today and get yourself on site.
Sources
- SafeWork NSW — Conditions for RTOs delivering general construction induction trainingThe New South Wales rule that training is face-to-face or connected delivery, and that online-only delivery is not permitted
- SafeWork NSW — White cardsNew South Wales card process and evidence of identity
- WorkSafe WA — Construction induction trainingThe Western Australian construction induction card and who it is available to
- Safe Work Australia — Model Work Health and Safety RegulationsConstruction induction card duty and mutual recognition across Australia (regulation 318)
- training.gov.au — CPCWHS1001 Prepare to work safely in the construction industryUnit code and official title
