The federal Labor government have proposed a $4.1 billion overhaul to apprenticeships which have been lauded by stakeholders.
Following the 2023-24 Budget the government will make a number of changes in non-financial supports and services for apprentices. The overhaul will see $3.7 billion injected into the National Skills Agreement (NSA). That funding will combine with the $400 million in place for more Fee-Free TAFE and VET places.
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The apprenticeship changes include:
- Assessing apprentices at the beginning of their training to identify if additional supports may be required.
- Make mentoring more accessible early on in apprenticeships. This includes specialised support to assist First Nations apprentices, apprentices with a disability, remote apprentices, or women apprentices in male-dominated professions.
- An increased focus on supporting apprenticeship completion. This includes emphasised support during the first two years of the apprenticeship when wages are typically low.
- Also work with each state and territory to improve the workplace experience for apprentices.
- Ensure employers can create a positive learning environment that encourages apprentices to succeed. This will apply particularly to under-resourced or inexperienced employers who might be taking on apprentices for the first time.
- Streamlining claims processing and program admin for employers to allow them more time actually training apprentices.
The aim of the change is to ensure apprentices are given the tools to not only succeed during their apprenticeship, but complete it and find a long term career. The announcement comes as a result of the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills summit in late 2022 which aimed to address the dire skills shortage facing the nation.
Apprentice tick from Master Builders Australia
Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said 10 per cent of Australia’s 1.26 million-person construction population were apprentices. She added the announcement for targeted help for apprentices would help address the shortages Australia would face in the long run if not addressed.
“With Australia’s population projected to grow by over 50 per cent between 2022 and 2060, reaching nearly 40 million people, the industry will require a significant workforce to undertake the necessary building and construction work,” Wawn said.
“Work integrated learning pathways—including apprenticeships, traineeships and cadetships—are critical to ensuring the building and construction industry has a pipeline of skilled workers.
“The early stages of an apprenticeship are the most tenuous. Pastoral care can benefit apprentices, is a core element of the group training organisation model, and likely one of the main reasons that GTOs have higher completion rates than small employers.
“The construction industry attracts more male than female workers. Improving the attractiveness of the industry to women presents a massive opportunity to increase the pool of potential workers.”
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