Drop in apprentice numbers concerning, says ACCI

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has expressed concerns over the drop in numbers of apprentices.

“The ACCI has been warning the federal government for two years that the large reductions they were making to incentives to employ apprentices was going to result in a dramatic drop-off in the number of opportunities offered by employers,” the ACCI said in a media release.

“It is of no comfort that these predictions have becomes reality. Last week’s budget supported funding for new apprenticeship pathways, but failed to restore the incentives that establish the apprenticeship in the first place.

“The government’s own advisory body on skills, the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency, in its Future Focus report released earlier this year, has forecast that Australia will need to significantly step up its training effort in order to meet the needs of the future labour market, yet these figures show that we are doing the reverse.”

The ACCI said a wage increase for apprentices, coupled with reduced incentives, will discourage employers from taking on apprentices. It called on the government to offer employers incentives to take on apprenticeships.

“Australia needs to do everything possible to encourage more businesses to employ apprentices, particularly in the many trades necessary to secure a strong productive economy in the future,” the ACCI said.