Apprenticeships were traditionally focussed on the skilled trades and related occupations which make up only 14% of all jobs in Australia. As shown in table 4 all apprenticeships used to be in the trades. By 1990 some 93% of all apprenticeships and traineeships were still in the trades, with traineeships in the clerical and sales occupations just starting to make an impact in the system.

Traineeships were introduced in 1985 with the specific objective of broadening the coverage of contracts of training beyond the trades to the whole labour market.Yet even by 1995 the trades still dominated with 88.3% of all apprenticeships and traineeships (table 4). Clerical, sales and services traineeships made up most of the remainder in 1995.

The impact of a broadening of the occupational base really began to be felt by 1997 prior to the introduction of new apprenticeships.The trades had dropped to 72.8% of the total. Clerical, sales and service traineeships had grown rapidly and reached 16.5% of the total. Significant numbers of apprenticeships and traineeships had started to appear in the labourer and associate professional areas of the labour market (table 4).

The true impact of traineeships on the system has really been felt in the past three years, well over a decade after they were first introduced. Only half of all new apprenticeships are now in the skilled trades, and some 30% are in clerical, sales and service occupations (table 4). Approximately 11% are in labourer and related occupations, 4.3% are in intermediate production and transport occupations, 2.7% are in associate professional occupations and 1.6% are in managerial and professional occupations.

Contrary to popular belief, diversification has not been achieved at the expense of apprenticeship opportunities in the skilled trades. Apprenticeships and traineeships across all occupational groups have grown strongly since the mid-1990s, some off a relatively low base. Skilled trades apprenticeships have grown from 120 000 in 1995 to almost 140 000 in 2000 (figure 4).The number of new apprenticeships in the trades is the third highest level on record. Clerical, sales and service traineeships have grown the most since 1995, but new apprenticeship numbers in these occupations have fallen slightly since 1999.

Far from being a problem as is often supposed, the broadening of the occupational base of new apprenticeships has been both desirable and necessary. New apprenticeships are more in line with the structure of the labour market than ever before.Yet the take-up of new apprenticeships is still not evenly spread across the Australian labour market.

For instance:

• the skilled trades and related occupations still cover half of all new apprenticeships but represent only 14% of all jobs in Australia
• clerical, sales and service occupations cover nearly 32% of all jobs in Australia and 30% of new apprenticeships are in these occupations
• new apprenticeships in labourer and related occupations have reached 11% of all new apprenticeships, and these occupations account for 10% of all jobs in Australia
• managerial and administrative occupations make up 7% of all jobs but account for only 1% of all new apprenticeships
• professional occupations account for less than 1% of all new apprenticeships, but make up nearly 20% of all jobs
• intermediate production and transport occupations account for 9% of all jobs but only 4% of new apprenticeships