New data show that while employers’ overall use of vocational education and training (VET) remains steady, the proportion of employers with apprentices and trainees continues to decline.
In 2015, 24.3% of employers had apprentices and trainees, down 2.6 percentage points from 2013. The decline was most significant for medium and large employers, with proportions down 6.5 and 12.6 percentage points respectively from 2013.
This follows a trend over recent years of declining use of apprentices and trainees by Australian employers and coincides with a decrease in the number of apprentices and trainees in-training over a similar period (as seen in recently released Apprentice and Trainees 2014 Annual figures).
Managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Employers’ Use and Views of the VET system 2015 surveys around 9000 employers from across the country and identifies ways in which they meet their skill needs and how effective these strategies are.
While employers’ use of apprentices and trainees declined, 81.7% of employers were satisfied that apprentices and trainees are receiving the skills they require through training, a similar proportion to 2013. Also 84.0% of employers were satisfied that nationally recognised training (not part of an apprenticeship/traineeship) provides skills required for jobs, similar to levels reported in 2013.
“During times of both slow economic growth and low business confidence we expect to see fewer employers take on new apprentices and trainees. The good news is that employers’ satisfaction with training remains high”, said Dr Mette Creaser, National Manager, Statistics and Analytics.
The Employers’ Use and Views of the VET system 2015 also found:
- 36.6% of employers had jobs requiring vocational qualifications, up 3.3 percentage points from 2013
- 20.6% of employers arranged or provided their employees with nationally recognised training.
Employers’ Use and Views of the VET system is a biennial survey conducted on behalf of the Australian, state and territory governments, with funding provided through the Australian Department of Education and Training. Businesses are randomly selected from the Australian Business Register to participate in the survey.
Copies of Employers’ use and views of the VET system 2015 are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2822.html
Copies of Australian vocational education and training statistics: Apprentices and trainees 2014 Annual are available from: www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2796.html
Media contact: Rebecca Farrell, P: 08 8230 8418, M: 0407 608 409