VET News

A Crucial Role for Employers

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has released the 2019 Apprentice and Trainee Experience and Destination Survey Report which highlights how crucial the employer's role is in supporting them to finish their apprenticeships.  Most traditional trade apprentices who don't complete their training cite employment-related reasons for leaving, highlighting how crucial the employer's role is in supporting them to finish their apprenticeships.

NCVER Managing Director Simon Walker said that trade apprentices report high levels of satisfaction with their off-the-job training.  "Where we see differences are with their on-the-job experiences; non-completers are less satisfied with their working conditions, supervision, pay, types of work, and their relationships with co-workers than those who complete their apprenticeships." Mr Walker said.  

In addition, the NCVER have also released a full Research Report on Traditional trade apprenticeships: experiences and outcomes.  This report is the final component of a broader study on traditional trade apprenticeships and looks at the experiences of the traditional trade apprentice.   

Key messages from the report include:

• Traditional trade apprentices report high levels of satisfaction with the off-the-job training they receive, irrespective of whether they complete their apprenticeship.
• Those who do not complete a traditional trade apprenticeship predominantly cite employment-related reasons for leaving their apprenticeship, highlighting how critical the role of the employer is in supporting apprentice completion.
• Completing a traditional trade apprenticeship results in good employment outcomes. In 2019, over 90% of traditional trade apprentices who completed their apprenticeships were employed, compared with about 75% of non-completers.  Completers also fared better than non-completers in staying employed with the same employer as their apprenticeship and having a higher median annual income.

Relevant discussion from the focus groups of apprentices, undertaken for the second phase, are also included within the report.

The report is a companion to 2 others released by the NCVER earlier this year:

• Traditional trade apprenticeships: training activity, employer incentives and international practice
• Traditional trade apprenticeships: learnings from the field

Access NCVER Media Release here.

Date posted Sep 10, 2020