Restoring and reinvigorating the apprenticeship sector

The Apprentice Employment Network WA (AEN WA) argues that Western Australia's post-COVID [Coronavirus Disease 2019] economic recovery will depend upon a pipeline of new apprentices and trainees with the enthusiasm and skills capable of meeting the needs of a growing and evolving workforce. This policy blueprint from AEN WA puts forward recommendations to help boost apprentice commencements and completions, and assist the group training sector which has been hit hard by the COVID-induced recession. AEN WA proposes three key policies to assist group training and the thousands of...  [+] Show more

The Apprentice Employment Network WA (AEN WA) argues that Western Australia's post-COVID [Coronavirus Disease 2019] economic recovery will depend upon a pipeline of new apprentices and trainees with the enthusiasm and skills capable of meeting the needs of a growing and evolving workforce. This policy blueprint from AEN WA puts forward recommendations to help boost apprentice commencements and completions, and assist the group training sector which has been hit hard by the COVID-induced recession. AEN WA proposes three key policies to assist group training and the thousands of apprentices and trainees they support: (1) increase funding for the Western Australian Group Training Program, recognising the unique work of group training organisations (GTOs) with state government priority groups; (2) provide funding to support GTO employment of mature aged apprentices and trainees; and (3) help to refine insolvency legislation so that GTOs are recognised as secured creditors.

Edited excerpts from publication.