Improved access to New Apprenticeships

26 July 2004 - A new action plan was announced at the the Sydney Morning Herald Careers and Employment Expo, aimed at:

* increasing New Apprenticeship vacancies on JobSearch (the online recruitment website);
* promoting New Apprenticeships to employers through Job Network;
* improving job market projections to support industry skills analysis;
* focusing on disadvantaged job seekers such as young Indigenous Australians.

The Federal Government argues that New Apprenticeships have been 'enormously successful in giving young and mature age Australians skills in more than 500 occupations.' Over 88% of New Apprentices are in employment six months after completing their Apprenticeships. This compares favourably with the equivalent 79% of university graduates.

Currently, there are 417,000 New Apprentices in training (217,600 aged 15 to 24 and 51,800 aged 45 and over). This represents an increase of 13% - and more than a 25 fold increase respectively since 1996.

Strong growth has been shown for New Apprentices in skill shortage areas, including the following increases in commencements in the year up to March 2004:

- 29% in construction,
- 36% in electrotechnology
- 19% in metals and engineering.

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Hostile reception for new apprenticeships

11 October 2001 - Teachers and Labor gave a thumbs down to new Government initiatives on apprenticeships and traineeships.

Linda Simon, Secretary of the TAFE Teachers Association said; "The Coalition's education policy released yesterday does not give young people the boost into jobs that it suggests."

"The only new money that is there for apprenticeships and traineeships, is incentive funding to employers to take on school based New Apprentices. There is no money to provide the educational support in schools or TAFE colleges that these young people undertaking such apprenticeships would need."

"The reality is that in 2000, $220 million that had been allocated by the Government for employer incentives to take on post-school apprenticeships and traineeships, was not taken up. These apprenticeships are generally more attractive to employers than school-based apprenticeships."

"As usual, the Coalition policy looks as though additional money is being used to support young people into jobs, when if they really wanted to provide assistance, the funding would go to schools and colleges to ensure that young people were able to gain the skills and qualifications that employers require."

"Employers are telling us that they want extra funding put into pre-apprenticeship and pre-vocational programs in TAFE colleges. These courses provide young people with those initial skills so important in the workplace. But the cuts in funding to TAFE colleges over the last five years, over $240 million plus cuts to Labour Market Programs, has meant that many of these courses are no longer offered."

Linda Simon added: "Both major parties must make real commitments to the education and training of young people in Australia, and support for apprenticeships and traineeships. The Coalition policy does not do this."

Meanwhile Senator Kim Carr, Labor's Parliamentary Secretary for Education said that Dr Kemp had taken his 'misrepresentation of education policy' to new heights with his release today of a policy pretending to improve new apprenticeship opportunities for school students.

"I challenge Dr Kemp on four points," said Senator Carr.

"His claims that a further 30,000 additional places will be created are a cruel fraud. In fact, there are 6,000 school based apprenticeships already in place (with 60% in Queensland). He is really trying to claim credit for barely 1500 additional places each year, at a cost of more than $40 million!"

"Dr Kemp remains silent on the source of this funding. Dr Kemp must say whether this is new money or is it, as is so often the case with him, simply recycled funding dressed up as new?"

"According to departmental statistics more than 306,000 students (or 75% of year 11 and 12 enrolments) will take VET related subjects by 2004. Dr Kemp's gesture will aid a few thousand. What of the future of the 300,000 that he continues to ignore?"

"Finally, Dr Kemp is characteristically silent on quality issues. What is he doing to ensure that these apprenticeships give our young people the quality training they need to get a job?"

"Dr Kemp must answer these important issues. If he fails to do so, he stands condemned yet again as patently disinterested in the quality and welfare of our education system and Australia's future."

Human Resource Development: Strategy and Tactics