|
|
|
|
|
|
Media Release
RECORD NEW APPRENTICESHIP NUMBERS
K3304 14 April 1999
"The Government’s New Apprenticeship scheme is an outstanding success, with the number of people in apprenticeships and traineeships pushing through the 200,000 mark for the first time," the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Dr David Kemp, announced today. Figures released today by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show increasingly strong growth in apprenticeship and traineeship numbers since the New Apprenticeship initiative was introduced by the Government in January 1998. "These very encouraging figures show that New Apprenticeships have been well received by both employers and employees and we are now moving ahead in skilling our workforce for the new century," said Dr Kemp. Dr Kemp made the announcement at the launch of The Coles Institute, an Australian first in education and training initiatives, which provides the company’s supermarket employees with flexible education and training programmes from Deakin University’s Toorak campus in Melbourne. The NCVER figures showed that the number of apprentices and trainees rose to an estimated 206,400 at the end of 1998, which is an increase of over 60,000 since the beginning of 1996. Apprentices and trainees are a major contributor to the skills of the Australian workforce with an estimated 133,750 apprentice and trainee commencements during the 1998 calendar year. This is an increase of 18.6% on commencements recorded in 1997. "An important part of preparing Australia for the new millennium is ensuring that the nation’s workforce is fully skilled to meet future challenges head on. This Government sees this as a key priority in taking Australia into the 21st Century," said Dr Kemp. "We also know that a skilled workforce means that industries are able to compete more effectively on quality and variety of products. As a result industries can enter more sophisticated and high value product and export markets – something that is critical to Australia’s future." While males continue to dominate apprenticeships and traineeships, the proportion of females undertaking this type of training continues to increase. Over 46% of those commencing an apprenticeship or traineeship in the December 1998 quarter were female and they now represent over 27% of all people undertaking a contract of training. Trades and related workers continue to be the largest occupational group for apprentices and trainees comprising 61.3% of the total in training at 31 December 1998. Apprentices and trainees in the Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Worker occupations are also strongly represented, accounting for 31.8% of commencements during 1998. "Training for the new millennium is about developing a learning culture in a world that demands a highly adaptable and flexible workforce," said Dr Kemp. "Businesses recognise that their employees are their most valuable asset and by providing them with education, training or a New Apprenticeship everyone can win. "Employers win through increased productivity and employees also win by enhancing their skill base and increasing their performance. "The Coles Institute represents the sort of progressive initiative that recognises the increasingly important links between industry and our universities." Starting in August this year, Deakin University’s private arm, Deakin Australia will be able to provide some of Coles supermarkets’ 52,000 employees with nationally recognised training and education courses through the Coles Institute. Under the unique partnership, Deakin Australia and the Coles Institute will offer nationally recognised courses to take a retail trainee through to a postgraduate degree (from entry level through to postgraduate qualifications); and offer executive development programmes, management development programmes, and technical training. "We need to keep our eyes firmly on what industry needs and to make sure that enterprises are able to access the training they need at appropriate times and in ways which suits their needs," said Dr Kemp. Media contact: Samantha Herron 02 6277 7460 or 0412 639 754
|
|||
|
contact
details | search |
archive search | publications
| site map | subscribe Any comments or queries should be sent to: wwweditor@dest.gov.au This page was
last updated on
Monday, 25 April 2005
|
