Fed: New Apprenticeships reach 400,000

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2003
Fed: New Apprenticeships reach 400,000

CANBERRA, Dec 9 AAP - New figures showing there were now more than 400,000 apprentices
in Australia was a stunning result for employers and young people, Education Minister
Brendan Nelson said today.

Dr Nelson released figures by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research
(NCVER) showing a further increase in the number of apprentices of 10 per cent in 12 months.

He said this constituted an increase of 190 per cent since 1996 when the coalition
government introduced the New Apprenticeships scheme, which changed the traditional notion
of apprenticeships and included traineeships.

NCVER said apprenticeship completions leapt by 15 per cent last year, with 126,400
New Apprentices completing their training in the 12 months to September 2003.

The report said 28 per cent of all New Apprentices were aged under 19 and a further
26 per cent are aged between 20 and 24.

Increasingly, mature-aged Australians are using the New Apprenticeships pathway to
build new skills or move into new careers.

Today, 32 per cent of all New Apprentices are aged 25-44 and 13 per cent are over 45 years old.

AAP dep/sb/cbs/bwlt

KEYWORD: APPRENTICES

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