Trends in traditional apprenticeships

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Australian vocational education and training statistics: Trends in 'traditional apprenticeships'
Authors: Louise Brooks
Publication date: 16 February 2004
Publication type: Formal report

This paper analyses trends in 'traditional apprenticeships' (as defined within the report), compared to those in 'other' apprenticeship contracts, since 1996. It shows that growth in the apprenticeships and trainees system has mostly been outside 'traditional apprenticeships'. The analysis concludes that 'traditional apprenticeships' were mostly undertaken by younger males, at Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level III and full-time, while 'other' apprentices and trainees were more likely to be older females, working part-time.

This paper defines 'traditional apprentices' as 'someone who is employed under a contract of training in a trades occupation, training towards a qualification at AQF Lvel 3 or higher, and the expected duration of that contract is more than 2 years for fulltime workers (or more than 8 years for parttime workers)'. This conforms to the common understanding of how somebody prepares themselves for a career in trades such as plumbing, carpentry and hairdressing.

Traditional apprentices are overwhelmingly male, young, employed full time,and training towards an AQF lvl 3 certificate.

More than 3 in 4 of all teenagers employed in the trades at December 2002 were undertaking a 'traditional apprenticeship', up from around 2 in 3 at December 1996.

Page 26 "The industries where apprentices and trainees were most prominent as a proportion of employed persons in 2002 were transport and storage, accommodation, cafes and restaurants, retail trade, and property and business services."