Apprenticeship data sourced from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) indicates that larger employers are more likely to employ women as apprentices in non-traditional trades. The data, obtained from the NCVER VOCSTATS site for the 12 months to September 2024 financial year, shows that while employers with more than 1,000 employees commenced 11.1% of all apprentices in non-traditional trades in that period, they commenced almost a third of the women (31.7%) in those roles.
Non-traditional roles include occupations in the automotive and engineering trades, construction trades and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades.
Employers with between 200 and 1,000 employees commenced 14.9% of all people in those trades, but 18.5% of women.
There have been recent suggestions to remove eligibility for financial incentives for employers with more than 200 employees. Ai Group does not support this. All employers incur costs to develop apprentices and trainees, and all need to justify those costs. Each employer must consider how an apprentice’s lack of experience and need for supervision and training is balanced by the training wage and the incentives, and how that balance compares with a skilled, or unskilled, employee. These considerations should be recognised through the incentive regime.
Employers with more than 200 employees commenced 39.4% of all trade and non-trade apprentices in the 12 months to 30 September 2024, but 51.6% of apprentices from a non-English speaking background and 43% of indigenous apprentices.
