Latest apprentice data no cause to celebrate

Australia’s largest and most representative business network, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has renewed its call to accelerate action through the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) to boost falling apprentice and trainee numbers, following the release of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) latest results today.

Apprentices and trainee commencements fell by 3.3 percent to 35,280 in the June quarter 2018, compared to the same quarter in 2017, according to the Apprentices and Trainees 2018 June quarter estimates.

The year ending 30 June 2018 saw a decrease in commencements of 0.6 percent compared with the previous year.

“The business community remains very concerned by the steady decline in the number of apprentices and trainees being trained,” Australian Chamber CEO, James Pearson, said today.

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