Apprenticeship starts continue long-term fall

Apprenticeship statistics are showing mixed messages with some good and bad news, but the bottom line is the year to 30 September, 2019 was yet another year in which apprenticeship commencements fell.

This was the fifth year of steady decline (see graphic above) according to figures from the National Centre for Vocational and Education Research (NCVER) and follows on from an even longer run of bad news.

In the 12 months ending 30 September 2019, compared with the 12 months ending 30 September 2018:

# commencements decreased by 1.3 per cent, to 156,265

# completions increased by 3.2 per cent, to 89,310

# and cancellations and withdrawals decreased by 0.1 per cent, to 88,030.

However while commencement numbers fell in the trade and construction trade categories, they rose 13.6 per cent on the year before in engineering, ICT and science technicians and the advanced diploma and diploma categories.

The big picture is that in the past five years apprenticeship commencements have fallen by 20,000 to just 56,265.

Apprenticeship completions have suffered an even bigger fall in the time – from 127,220 to 89,310.

Picture: NCVER

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