The analysis suggests that there is potential to expand the system to at least 40 000 new apprenticeships in the medium to long term.

The continuing central role of the skilled trades in the new apprenticeship system is recognised. Some 12% of all skilled trades jobs are held by new apprentices and the skilled trades account for 14% of all jobs in Australia. Despite this very high coverage of new apprenticeships in skilled trades employment in Australia, there are some skilled trades occupations with relatively low proportions of new apprenticeships. Some 25 skilled trades are listed in the report (chapter 9, box 7) as having considerable growth potential.

Associate professional occupations are identified as having the most potential for expansion of new apprenticeships. Like the skilled trades, these occupations involve higher level skills which are suitable for apprenticeships at the Certificate III or higher levels. There are over one million associate professional jobs (which include technicians) in Australia, some 11% of all jobs in the nation (nearly as many as in the skilled trades). Despite this they constitute less than 3% of new apprenticeships, and new apprentices are currently only 0.7% of the associate professional workforce. If new apprenticeship coverage was raised to some 10% of the associate professional workforce, then there would be over 100 000 associate professional new apprenticeships (not the 7500 we see today). The feasibility of these suggestions will need to be tested by government and industry. A systematic national approach to expand associate professional new apprenticeships involving Commonwealth and State/Territory training authorities and industry is proposed.

Managerial and administrative occupations, currently with 1% of new apprenticeships and 7% of all jobs are identified in the report as having potential only for modest growth in new apprenticeships.

Professional occupations make up less than 1% of new apprenticeships but nearly 20% of Australia’s jobs. These are also the best paying jobs. However, there is no potential for expansion of new apprenticeships here. Most of the qualified workforce in these jobs are university graduates.

Clerical, sales and service occupations cover nearly 32% of all jobs in Australia, and the massive expansion of traineeships and new apprenticeships into these areas in recent years means some 30% of new apprenticeships are now in these occupations.Yet this is an area where potential for more expansion exists. Some 16 clerical, sales and service occupations are listed in the report (chapter 9, box 8) as ones that already have new apprenticeships in place that could be expanded.

Intermediate production and transport occupations which currently account for 4% of new apprenticeships and 9% of all jobs, and labourer and related occupations which account for 11% of new apprenticeships and 10% of all jobs are identified as areas of the labour market where major expansions of new apprenticeships should not be encouraged.

Future strategies for the rollout of new apprenticeships need to recognise that there are almost half a million young people aged 15 to 24 years in Australia today who are combining work with study outside of the new apprenticeship system by working and studying full-time at a school or a tertiary education institution. Two decades ago young people left school to go to work or stayed on to study full-time.Today combining work with study is the norm. It involves more young Australians than the full-time study with no job pathway. Because of this, future strategies aimed at expanding new apprenticeships in those areas of the labour market with high rates of casual employment will have limited success with young people because they are already involved in high numbers in other arrangements combining work with study.

Despite the major improvement in female participation in recent years, it is unacceptable that females comprise 45% of the employed workforce yet they represent only 31% of new apprenticeships. Policies to raise female participation in trades apprenticeships have failed. Future strategies need to focus on more new apprenticeships in those areas of the labour market where females are employed.

New strategies will be required if equitable access to new apprenticeships is to be extended to people from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Coverage is now much better for Indigenous people. People with disabilities that do not prevent their participation in education and/or employment have much better access, but more needs to be done to get them into new apprenticeships beyond Certificate II level.

People from rural and regional Australia have more than proportionate access to the new apprenticeship system. Surprisingly some focus on raising participation in new apprenticeships in capital cities is now needed, particularly for those who live in the lower socio-economic suburbs of our cities.