Demand for skills drives improved outcomes for apprentices

A higher proportion of apprentices and trainees are being employed after completing their training as demand for skilled workers rose during 2021, according to a new report.

The report from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) shows 94.0 per cent of apprentices and trainees who completed their training in a trade occupation were employed after training in the year.

For those in non-trade occupations, 88.4 per cent were employed after training.

These figures are up 2.5 percentage points and 3.5 percentage points respectively from 2019.

Employment outcomes improved the most for those who trained in electrotechnology and telecommunications, construction, sales, and clerical and administrative occupations, compared with 2019.

NCVER Managing Director Simon Walker said: “The employment outcomes for apprentices and trainees significantly improved between 2019 and 2021, likely reflecting the increased demand for skilled workers.

“In 2021 we saw a higher proportion of employers retaining the apprentices and trainees they trained after they had completed, with the proportion of qualified apprentices and trainees employed with the same employer up 12.3 per cent from 2019 for trade completers and 6.9 per cent for non-trade completers.”

Walker said the demand for skilled workers was also reflected in those who did change employers, with a higher proportion of apprentices and trainees changing employers because they were offered a better job.

Of those trade completers who changed employers in 2021, 24.7 per cent did so because they were offered a better job, compared with 14.5 per cent in 2019, while for non-trade completers it increased to 24.0 per cent in 2021 from 17.9 per cent in 2019.

Satisfaction with off-the-job training was high, with 86.7 per cent of trade completers and 91.0 per cent of non-trade completers satisfied overall with their off-the-job training, a similar or slightly higher proportion than in 2019.

This is despite 30.1 per cent of trade completers and 39.2 per cent of non-trade completers having some of their off-the-job training move online in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More details in Apprentice and trainee outcomes 2021 here.

Picture: NCVER

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