Tasmanian trade apprenticeships sign up and completion yearly rates decline

A report by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) shows sign-up and completion rates for trade apprenticeships remained below pre-COVID-19 figures in 2023, leading to a shortage of building construction workers.

The report, which includes data to September 30, 2023, show that when the Tasmanian Building Group Apprentice Scheme launched in 2020, the number of trade commencements - those starting an apprenticeship - went up.

This was followed by a steep fall in 2022.

The report went on to state the COVID-19 pandemic created uncertain times for many individuals and thereby affected apprentice and trainee numbers.

The September 2023 figures showed 350 Tasmanians started an apprenticeship.

This was down 1.1 per cent compared to September 2022, while 425 cancellations and withdrawals represented a 8.9 per cent increase over the year prior.

In Australia commencements decreased by 33.6 per cent, to 171,705 over the same time period.

Completions increased by 6.4 per cent, to 101,475.

Meanwhile cancellations and withdrawals decreased by 3.1 per cent, to 126,315.

The figures for September 2023 in Tasmania showed that in-training rates were down 10.3 per cent from September 2022.

In-training figures represent the number of apprenticeship and traineeship training contracts where the apprentice or trainee is actively training under the terms of their contract.

These exclude those who have not completed, cancelled or withdrawn from their training, or had their training contract expired without meeting all of the prescribed requirements of their program.

On a national level, in Australia there were 365,420 apprentices and trainees in-training as at 30 September 2023, a decrease of 9.8 per cent from September 30, 2022.

Annually 310 fewer people commenced construction apprenticeships in Tasmania.

This is a 32.9 per cent decrease between September 2022 to September 2023.

However, completion rates of construction trade workers in the state were showing signs of recovery in comparison to 2022, with 50 (up 11.2 per cent) more people completing their courses.

The national level data showed that apprentice and trainee commencements increased by 22.2 per cent to 37,690 over the same period.

In Tasmania, the statistics as of September 2023 showed 14.6 per cent of employed workers within the trade occupations were an apprentice or trainee.