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90% of new apprentices gain immediate employment

Posted on:Tuesday, 16th October 2001

Ninety per cent of new apprentices aged 15 to 19 years are retained in employment       or have gained new employment within three months of completion of their       new apprenticeship.

This employment rate rises to 92% for young adults aged 20 to 24 years, and       is slightly higher for adult completors aged 25 years and over, according       to a paper presented today at the Australian Council for Educational Research       (ACER) conference, Understanding Youth Pathways: What does the research tell       us?

Mr Chris Robinson, Managing Director of the National Centre for Vocational       Education Research, told the conference that employment rates are especially       good for young apprentices if they undertook their off-the-job training at       a TAFE institute as part of their apprenticeship.

“The employment rates for apprentices who studied TAFE were 97% for 15       to 19 year olds and 96% for 20 to 24 year olds. For traineeship completors       who studied at TAFE, the employment rates are also very high, being 90% and       87% respectively, for these age groups,” Mr Robinson said.

“These employment outcome figures compare favourably with those attained       from other forms of education and training (73.4% for TAFE courses and 67%      for university graduates). However, it needs to be remembered that that all       new apprentices already have a job while they are studying, whereas many       other TAFE and university students do not. Moreover, some 15% of TAFE graduates       and 24% of university graduates go on to further study prior to entering       the labour market,” Mr Robinson added.

Mr Robinson said that even partial completion of a new apprenticeship provided       very good job outcomes for young people. In 2000, the proportions of young       people who did not complete their full apprenticeship or traineeship program,      but who were employed in an unsubsidised job within three months of leaving       their new apprenticeship, was 68% for those aged 15 to 19 years and 70% for       20 to 24 year olds. The employment rate for non-completors aged 25 years       and over was slightly higher at 73%.

“As the figures show, new apprenticeships and traineeships are an excellent       pathway to jobs, irrespective of the age of the participant,” he added.

Mr Robinson said that although weekly full-time starting salaries for apprentices       and employees are, on average, slightly higher than for other TAFE graduates       ($473 compared to $462), they remain well below those of university graduates       ($635).

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