Work in Progress

The cost of training apprentices

• Summary
• Purpose
• Approach
• Research questions
• Methodology
• Organisations

Summary

Purpose

This project examines the costs both employers and apprentices incur for undertaking training in the plumbing and electrical industries.

Approach

Quantitative and qualitative

Research questions

This project is set against the changes resulting from the introduction of the New Apprenticeships Scheme in 1998 and the increase in choices available for hiring and training apprentices.

The project aims to set up a framework for understanding costs and benefits of apprenticeships, and to populate the framework with some data from actual apprenticeships. While we cannot claim this gives a totally reliable picture (because of the censored nature of the data) we can use the resulting information to make inferences on the effectiveness of policy levers in encouraging either individuals to take up an apprenticeship or employers to take on an apprentice. For example, we can look at the likely efficacy of incentives and the role of apprentice wages.

Methodology

This report is based on data from six case studies of actual electrical and plumbing apprentices. While the number of case studies is small, the clarity of the results suggests that they have real salience.

The data used for the project come from six case studies, in collaboration with the Plumbing Industry Association, the National Electrical and Communications Association and Group Training Australia Ltd. The case studies focused on particular individuals undertaking a certificate III level qualification in either electrical or plumbing. While the small number of case studies limits the ability to generalise the results, they amply illuminate the various factors that contribute to the cost of training an apprentice.

Organisations

This project has been funded under the NCVER Core-funded program.

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