An urgent reform of apprenticeships has been called for in an in depth industry report titled "Making Apprenticeships Work" released by the Australian Industry Group (AIG) last week.

"With apprenticeship numbers at their lowest level in a decade, the Australian Industry Group has today released a plan of recommended actions that we are urging all parties to adopt to address this dire situation," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"The proportion of Australian workers employed as an apprentice or trainee has fallen to a worryingly low 2.7 per cent of total employment.  This is reflected in the fact that apprentices now only make up 9.7 per cent of all those engaged in the entire Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.

"Apprentices provide vital skills to key parts of our economy.  Without urgent and meaningful intervention, the apprenticeship system in Australia will continue to underperform and fail to deliver for business and the community." Mr Willox said.

DGT operating as a Group Training Organisation consistently seeks ways to make our apprenticeships work and ensure completions. 

We mentor our apprentices and trainees through our Group Training model whilst also being able to offer the Training they require through our Registered Training Organisation. 

Reports like these only help highlight that Group Training Organisations such as DGT are vital in improving completions and making apprenticeships work. 

Key recommendations the report makes:

• Establish a national industry-led body to drive Australian Apprenticeships policy and implementation;
• Implement employer incentives for those not engaged in Australian Apprenticeships and for those who undertake STEM-related apprenticeships and traineeships;
• Reinstate the Joint Group Training Program funding to support first-time employers of apprentices and support small-to-medium enterprises to boost completions;
• Investigate and trial measures that link Australian Apprenticeships to higher level qualifications in the VET and Higher Education sectors;
• Investigate and trial the potential of introducing 'higher apprenticeships' models into a wider range of industries and occupations including para-professional occupations;
• Develop and implement a national communications strategy to facilitate widespread implementation of competency based progression and completion;
• Clearly define and support pre-apprenticeships as a viable pathway to engage more young people in Australian Apprenticeships; and
• Develop measures to support School-based Apprenticeships as a key platform in the expansion of Australian Apprenticeships to young people.

Interested in reading the full report? Get it here.