Apprentices must be encouraged

Qualifications in skilled trades have been the foundation of many prosperous careers, standing their holders, who often go on to run their own businesses, in good stead through booms and recessions. At a time when industries are suffering serious skills shortages, the 50 per cent dropout rate among apprentices is problematic. At an Australian Industry Group conference on Monday, Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor will discuss potential solutions to the issues that prompted 110,925 apprentices and trainees to drop out of training in the year to March, compared with 85,470 completions. Much of the issue arises from the buoyant jobs market. At present, it is often more lucrative to take semi-skilled jobs than complete training. That could change.

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations data shows barely half the trade apprentices who started in 2017 finished their four years’ training, with a quarter quitting in the first year. In a consultation document signed off by federal, state and territory training ministers on Friday, DEWR reported that one in three apprentices finds the “low level of pay challenging, especially during the first year’’. High living costs were forcing some to turn to charity for food, sell cars or move back home to make ends meet. An increase to the $12-an-hour starting wage for apprentices, as well as taxpayer-funded bonuses paid to employers and apprentices at the start and finish of training, will be investigated during a month-long consultation with industry. The Ai Group wants completion bonuses of up to $5000 paid to employers and apprentices to finish their training.

Governments encourage apprenticeship training, which boosts the nation’s skills base. But it would be a mistake to constantly look to taxpayers to pay for solutions to workplace problems, be it in aged care, childcare or apprenticeships. Many young people completing long courses in medicine and vet science also endure lean years and graduate with heavy debts. Ample rewards await apprentices who finish training. It is their choice whether to do so or to take other jobs. Families and mentors should encourage them to look ahead.