"Attrition in the trades," by Tom Karmel, Patrick Lim and Josie Misko, analyses whether attrition--the gradual reduction or weakening of a workforce--occurs more amongst tradespeople than professionals, and if this is to the detriment of the supply of tradespeople. The authors use data from the Australian Labour Mobility Survey in 2008…

Pre-apprenticeship programs have generated interest recently from government, employers and other stakeholders in the training system as one means of improving apprenticeship completion rates and thereby ameliorating skill shortages. However, there has not yet been any research which establishes that pre-apprenticeship programs actually increase…

Shortages in the trades are again becoming a prominent issue as Australia emerges from the Global Financial Crisis. The existence of shortages puts the immediate focus on the apparent inability of the training system to supply sufficient skilled tradespersons, but shortages in an occupation are as much related to the rate at which individuals…

The author explores the prospect of improving pathways and opportunities for tradespeople in Australia through the introduction of a masters-level qualification. The study investigates the views and opinions of senior industry representatives and professional educators to determine whether the introduction of a master trade or master artisan…

The primary focus of this research is the impact of wages on the decision not to continue with an apprenticeship or traineeship. The approach taken is to model three wages relevant to apprentices and trainees: the wage during training; the expected wage in alternative employment; and, the expected wage on completion. The results of these models…

This publication presents experimental estimates of completion and attrition rates for the latest commencing apprentice and trainee cohorts. Such up-to-date estimates are possible by applying a "life tables" methodology to simple cross tabulations of commencements, completions and cancellations/withdrawals. The resultant cross-sectional…

This annual publication provides a summary of training activity in apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia, including information on training rates, completion rates, attrition rates, training within the trades and duration of training. The figures in this publication are derived from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection no.63…

This report looks at whether pre-apprenticeships increase the potential supply of tradespeople, with a special focus on electrotechnology, automotive and engineering students. It found that pre-apprenticeships have been used in Australia for many years and are widely regarded as a valuable strategy for increasing the supply and quality of…

This report looks at whether pre-apprenticeships increase the potential supply of tradespeople, with a special focus on electrotechnology, automotive and engineering students. It found that pre-apprenticeships have been used in Australia for many years and are widely regarded as a valuable strategy for increasing the supply and quality of…

Research messages 2006 is a collection of key messages from research projects published or completed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2006. It covers work undertaken by both NCVER and external researchers through the following programs: (1) National Vocational Education and Training Research Evaluation Program;…