Apprenticeship Contract Chile (Contrato de Aprendizaje)

An Apprenticeship Contract Chile (Contrato de Aprendizaje) is a special form of employment agreement governed by Articles 78 through 80 of the Código del Trabajo (DFL No. 1 of 2003), designed to facilitate the systematic vocational training of young workers by combining practical on-the-job experience with structured theoretical instruction. The contrato de aprendizaje occupies a unique position in Chilean labour law — it is a genuine employment contract (not merely a training or internship arrangement), so the apprentice (aprendiz) enjoys the full protection of the Código del Trabajo. However, several provisions of the Código do not apply to apprentices, reflecting the dual educational and productive nature of the relationship.

The constitutional foundation for apprenticeship contracts in Chile rests in Article 19 No. 10 of the Constitución Política de la República de 1980, which guarantees the right to education (derecho a la educación), and Article 19 No. 16, which protects the right to work. The contrato de aprendizaje bridges these constitutional rights — it is simultaneously a vehicle for education and a labour relationship.

Article 78 of the Código del Trabajo establishes the defining characteristics of the contrato de aprendizaje: (1) the employer (maestro o empleador) commits to provide systematic vocational training in a trade or craft (oficio o actividad laboral) through practical workplace instruction; (2) the apprentice (aprendiz) commits to work under the supervision of the employer and to attend the theoretical instruction program; and (3) the duration may not exceed two years. The apprentice must be under 21 years of age at the time of entering into the contract — there is no minimum age in Article 78 itself, but the general minor worker provisions of Articles 13–16 apply to apprentices who are minors (under 18).

The Servicio Nacional de Capacitación y Empleo (SENCE), a public service under the Ministerio del Trabajo y Previsión Social, administers the apprenticeship framework in Chile. SENCE maintains a registry of approved apprenticeship programs and provides oversight to ensure that the theoretical instruction component meets curricular standards. Employers may claim tax credits (franquicia tributaria) for training expenses under Ley 19.518 (Ley de Capacitación y Empleo) for costs associated with approved apprenticeship programs, calculated on the basis of the employer's monthly payroll (planilla de remuneraciones imponibles).

Article 79 of the Código del Trabajo establishes the remuneration regime for apprentices. The apprentice's remuneration may be fixed at a rate below the general Ingreso Mínimo Mensual (IMM) — specifically, the remuneration may be agreed freely between employer and apprentice, but cannot be lower than the Ingreso Mínimo Mensual de los Menores (a historically separate minimum wage for workers under 18, which the legislature abolished in 2009 under Ley 20.281, creating a unified minimum wage for all workers except those aged 65 and over who get a slightly different rate). In practice, most apprenticeship contracts set remuneration at or slightly above the IMM, given that the worker is providing genuine productive labour in addition to receiving training.

Article 80 of the Código del Trabajo establishes that Articles 13 and 214 of the Código do not apply to contracts of apprenticeship — Article 13 is the general prohibition on employing minors under 15, and Article 214 relates to union affiliation. The non-application of certain union provisions reflects the transitional, training-oriented nature of the apprenticeship relationship.

An Apprenticeship Contract Chile (Contrato de Aprendizaje) is required whenever a Chilean employer wishes to formally engage a young worker under 21 years of age for a structured vocational training program that combines practical on-the-job learning with theoretical instruction, under the legal framework of Articles 78–80 of the Código del Trabajo.

The contract is needed when a craftsperson, artisan, or small business owner (maestro) wants to train a young worker in a traditional trade — construction, carpentry, plumbing, electrical installation, metalwork, gastronomy, or artisanal baking — through the systematic apprenticeship model. Chile's Instituto Nacional de Capacitación Profesional (INACAP), Duoc UC (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile's technical-vocational institution), and other Centros de Formación Técnica (CFT) operate apprenticeship partnership programs with employers under SENCE certification.

The contract is appropriate for companies in the industrial, manufacturing, and agro-industrial sectors that need to develop technical workers. The Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO) supports apprenticeship programs in priority sectors including mining technology, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing, providing co-financing mechanisms under Ley 19.518.

Hospitality and tourism operators — hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies registered with SERNATUR (Servicio Nacional de Turismo) — use apprenticeship contracts to train young workers in culinary arts, hotel management, and tourism services, particularly given Chile's growing tourism sector and the skilled labour gap identified by SENCE's annual market studies.

The contrato de aprendizaje is also appropriate when a larger company has a formal youth employment program in partnership with a secondary school (liceo técnico-profesional) regulated by the Ministerio de Educación under Ley General de Educación (Ley 20.370). These school-industry programs provide students with practical training under apprenticeship contracts while they complete their technical-vocational bachillerato.

Distinction from internships: The contrato de aprendizaje differs from the práctica profesional (professional internship) governed by the Reglamento del Ministerio de Educación for technical-vocational secondary school graduates and from the práctica obligatoria for technical and professional institute students. A práctica profesional is not a labour contract — the student is not an employee and does not receive mandatory employment benefits. The contrato de aprendizaje is a full labour contract with all corresponding rights and obligations.

A valid Apprenticeship Contract Chile under Articles 78–80 of the Código del Trabajo must include the standard employment contract elements of Article 10 plus specific apprenticeship provisions.

Party Identification: Full names, RUT (SII), cédula de identidad (Registro Civil), date of birth, nationality, and domicile of employer and apprentice. Age verification is critical — the apprentice must be under 21 years of age. For minor apprentices (under 18), parental or guardian authorization is required under Articles 13–16 of the Código del Trabajo, or authorization from the Inspección del Trabajo for workers aged 15–17.

Trade or Activity Being Taught: A detailed description of the trade (oficio) or vocational activity (actividad laboral) in which the apprentice will receive instruction. This must be specific — for example, 'electrical installation in residential and commercial buildings' or 'professional gastronomy — French cuisine techniques.' Vague descriptions like 'general work' do not satisfy Article 78's requirement for systematic vocational training.

Theoretical Instruction Program: The contract must identify the theoretical instruction component — the institution providing theoretical training (SENCE-certified CFT, INACAP, Duoc UC, or liceo técnico-profesional), the schedule of theoretical instruction sessions, and the curriculum or syllabus being followed. SENCE certifies apprenticeship programs and may revoke certification if the theoretical instruction requirements are not met.

Duration — Maximum Two Years: Article 78 limits the contrato de aprendizaje to a maximum duration of two years. Unlike the plazo fijo contract under Article 159 No. 4, there is no provision for conversion to an indefinite contract upon completion — the apprenticeship relationship terminates at the agreed end date or upon completion of the training program.

Remuneration: Apprentice remuneration must be agreed in writing. While the restriction on paying below the general IMM that existed historically has been unified by Ley 20.281 of 2009, practical arrangements often involve remuneration starting at or near the IMM (CLP 500,000 for 2025) and increasing as the apprentice's productivity improves during the training period. Some apprenticeship programs under SENCE provide employer subsidies (subsidios de capacitación) that reduce the employer's net cost.

SENCE Registration: Employers using apprenticeship contracts should register the program with SENCE to access the franquicia tributaria (training tax credit) under Ley 19.518. The credit allows employers to deduct approved training costs from their Impuesto de Primera Categoría (corporate income tax) obligations filed with the SII.

Social Security: Apprentices are entitled to the same social security protections as other workers — AFP pension contributions under DL 3.500, FONASA or ISAPRE health coverage, AFC unemployment insurance under Ley 19.728, and occupational accident coverage under Ley 16.744. The employer must register the apprentice with the corresponding institutions before the first day of work.

Finiquito at Completion: At the natural end of the apprenticeship, the employer must pay all accrued benefits — feriado proporcional under Article 73, gratificación proporcional under Articles 47–52, and outstanding remuneration — in a finiquito ratified before a ministro de fe under Article 177 of the Código del Trabajo.

Forms-legal.com provides this Apprenticeship Contract Chile template as a practical tool for structuring vocational training employment relationships. All apprenticeship contracts should be reviewed by a licensed Abogado and registered with SENCE as appropriate. Los usuarios de forms-legal.com pueden descargar este documento de forma gratuita en formato PDF o DOCX, completar los campos del formulario guiado y obtener un documento listo para firma.