Declining apprentice training rates: causes, consequences and solutions

This discussion paper was commissioned by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF) amidst concerns over the growing shortage in trade skills. It was presented at a roundtable convened by in July 2003 by Group Training Australia (GTA) and DSF. It presents new data on long-run apprentice training rates by broad occupation groups. The data shows a significant and sustained decline in the training rate over the last 10 years. The author discusses the implications of this decline, provides an overview and assessment of the key explanations of these trends and suggests policy recommendations to redress the decline. These include: training levies; an increase in public sector training; changes to employer incentives; improving the quality of the operations of Group Training Companies (GTCs); re-establishing pre-apprenticeship programs; improving VET in schools; improving multi-employer coordination; increasing the innovation intensity of industry; and improving the marketing of apprenticeships. The contents are: Executive summary; Introduction; Implications of the decline in training rates; Causes of declining training rates; Possible responses to declining apprentice training rates; Conclusion. Show less