New estimates from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show that apprentice completion rates are higher when the data takes into account recommencements or ‘employer swapping’.
Individual-based completion rates for apprentices finds that around one-quarter of trade apprentices recommence their training with a new employer during their apprenticeship, which can have an impact on completion rates.
The paper reveals that by allowing for ‘employer swapping’, individual completion rates for apprentices who began their training in 2005 was at 56.6% compared to 45.6% on a contract of training basis.
Even when allowing for recommencements, individual completion rates across the trades vary from 39.2% for food trades workers to 64.2% for electro-technology and telecommunications trade workers.
Dr Tom Karmel, Managing Director, NCVER said he hopes these estimates will assist in a better understanding of completion rates for apprentices.
“NCVER publishes completion rates that relate to contracts of training and do not take into account that some individuals who do not complete their apprenticeship with one employer, may complete their training with another,” Dr Karmel said.
“Based on the recommencement data that is available, we have calculated new estimates that show that completion rates for individuals are considerably higher than the rates calculated for contracts. They also show that employer churn is an issue, particularly for hairdressing and the food trades.”
Copies of Individual-based completion rates for apprentices, are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2357.html
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