Apprenticeship numbers drop across Geelong

Apprenticeships and traineeships have dropped by almost 2500 since 2013 in the Corio and Corangamite electorates.

APPRENTICESHIPS and traineeships have dropped by almost 2500 since 2013 in the Corio and Corangamite electorates.

Workplace training has dropped 2,148 people in Corio and 346 in Corangamite in the seven years to March, according to federal government data.

Corio MP Richard Marles said apprentices and trainees dropped in his electorate by 61 per cent from 3,532 in late 2013 to 1375 in September last year, and the decline was twice the state and national average.

“The numbers nationally are a concern but to see Corio is twice the national average- this is deeply worrying.

“Geelong has a rich and proud history as a manufacturing town; we have the people and we have the skills, what we don’t have is the support from Scott Morrison and the Federal Government to grow and develop these skills.”

In Corangamite apprenticeships and traineeships are down by 33 per cent from 1465 in late 2013 to 985 in September last year.

Corangamite MP Libby Coker said the federal government was leaving the region behind.

“I hold grave concerns that our locals will not be trained for jobs, and it is yet another barrier of entry into the workforce, when jobs do become available after this current recession.

“We will need tradies and other critical workers to help the Geelong, Bellarine, and Surf Coast region recover after this pandemic and lift us out of recession – so why won’t this government do more to train young people now?”

Employment and Skills Minister Michaelia Cash said the government had invested $3.3 billion in supporting skills and apprenticeships since the onset of COVID-19.

“This includes the $2.8 billion supporting apprentices and trainees wage subsidy, which is supporting small and medium businesses affected by COVID-19 to keep their apprentices and trainees in employment, and is in addition to apprentices and trainees who have been supported by JobKeeper,” Senator Cash said.

“The Commonwealth government provides around $1.5 billion per year to state and territory governments to run the vocational education and training system. Funding … has increased year-on-year since 2008–09 and is expected to reach $1.62 billion in 2022-23.

“The number of trade apprentices in training has been relatively stable over the recent years and the rate of decline of non-trade apprentices is starting to stabilise as well.”

During a senate estimates hearing earlier this year the Department of Education, Skills and Employment said: “The decline in apprentices has primarily been in non-trade areas such as retail, hospitality and business services which accounted for 75 per cent of the decline from 2013 to March 2019.”

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Originally published as Apprenticeship numbers drop across Geelong