The tradies Australia really needs: 64 ways to a new career path as young workers snub apprenticeships

LOOKING for a new job or a big career break? Australians are snubbing these roles across a variety of workplaces, creating a national shortage.

Lara Nobel building a house on a trailer. Pic Annette Dew

APPRENTICESHIPS and traineeships are being snubbed by young workers against the advice of industry data.

The number of Australians choosing vocational education pathways has dropped by more than 40 per cent in two years, despite skills shortages and strong employment prospects in many trade and non-trade occupations.

For those that do choose them, the proportion who complete their training remains low, meanwhile more students are enrolling in university degrees, despite lower employment prospects after graduation.

Universities recorded 569,064 commencements in 2014 – up from 509,766 in 2012 – the Australian Bureau of Statistics finds.

The same period recorded just 192,000 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements – down from 330,500 – National Centre for Vocational Education Research statistics show.

SkillsOne chief executive Brian Wexham said many in-demand jobs emanated from vocational education.

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Tricks of the trade ... Lara Nobel says girls should not be intimidated about being in the construction industry. Picture: Annette Dew

“We know it’s undervalued and it shouldn’t be,” he said.

“I would encourage more people to put their ‘lets explore’ hat on and look at all the opportunities in vocational education and the careers that extend form that.

“Universities don’t release how many drop outs they have but we know many kids go to TAFE after (university) to get some skill or trade.”

There are 64 traditional trades on the Federal Government’s Nationals Skills Needs List, ranging from arborists and bricklayers to carpenters and cooks.

Vocational students also are more likely to get jobs more quickly.

In 2014, less than 15 per cent of apprenticeship and traineeship graduates were unable to find a job within six months of completing their qualification, Department of Employment report Australian Jobs 2015 reveals.

Those with a certificate III had the best employment prospects with 86.6 per cent in work soon after graduation, followed by those with a diploma or higher (85.5 per cent).

Bachelor degree graduates, by comparison, had a 68.1 per cent chance of finding full-time employment within four months of completing their degree – their lowest rates since at least 1990, according to GradStats.

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For apprentices and trainees, the biggest issue was encouraging them to see training through to completion.

For those commencing in 2010, contract completion rates were 46 per cent in trades occupations and 56 per cent in non-trades occupations, NCVER finds.

The rates ranged from 78 per cent for protective service workers to 31 per cent for food trades workers.

Third-year carpentry apprentice and recent TAFE QLD Scholarship winner Lara Nobel said more people should consider a vocational pathway.

“Society puts pressure on, saying that all smart people go to uni and that is not true at all. There are a hell of a lot of smart people at TAFE and there are different types of smart,” she said.

Ms Nobel, who also has a Masters in Architecture from university, chose her carpentry apprenticeship to gain hands-on experience.

“You become a better architect if you know how to build and a better builder if you know how to design,” she said.

“Sometimes girls are nervous about being in the construction industry but they shouldn’t be.

“Maybe decades ago when we didn’t have power tools it was a bit harder and heavier to do but these days the tools are good and we can do anything the guys can.”

TAFE QLD will award another 60 scholarships this year. Applications for the second round close October 31.

This reporter is on Twitter: @melanieburgess

Read more employment news in the CareerOne section of Saturday’s News Corp newspapers.

Originally published as The tradies Australia really needs: 64 ways to a new career path as young workers snub apprenticeships