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Apprenticeships and Traineeships Survey

The Australian apprenticeship system has a long and proud tradition. It has been responsible for training countless Australians in trade and other occupations over many decades. Without you, the employer, there are no apprentices and no trainees. Your satisfaction with the system is what will keep the model flourishing into the coming decades.

We would like to gather your views about the apprenticeship and traineeship system to inform our policy positions and advocacy to governments. What works? Why do you employ apprentices or trainees? How much does it cost? What are the challenges, and how can the system be improved?

It’s so important to have your say, as your experiences and insights allow us to highlight the issues and challenges about the apprenticeships system and seek action to make improvements. Our advocacy in this area, led by Ai Group’s Centre for Education and Training, will seek to ensure that the industry voice is at the centre of decision making about apprenticeships and traineeships.

Please complete the below survey and please pass it on to other businesses that you think would like to respond.

We estimate that this will take 15 minutes. Your contribution will be an important part of our advocacy in 2025 and is much appreciated.

Business details

Company name

In what state is your business headquartered?

In which industry does your business mainly operate?

Mining and/or mining services (e.g. exploration, mining engineering or mining processing)
Construction (e.g. engineering, infrastructure, commercial, residential construction or contracting)
Manufacturing (e.g. making food, beverages, chemicals, equipment, building materials, metals, textiles, furniture)
Services (e.g. retail, wholesale, transport, professional, real estate, IT, media, health, education, cafes, hotels, entertainment)
Other:

How many full-time equivalent (FTE) people did you employ in 2024?

We ask this to group responses by size

FTE people

Apprentices & Trainees

How many apprentices or trainees do you currently employ?


Apprentices
Trainees

How important are apprentices and trainees to your business?

Choose one of the following answers

Very important

Important

Somewhat important

Neutral

Not important

No answer

Other:

What factors are the major barrier to your hiring of apprentices or trainees?

Select all that apply

Difficulty in finding suitable candidates
Costs too high/not cost effective
Administration/regulation too burdensome
Difficulty in supervising/training on the job
Unavailability of relevant training
Available training not to right standard
Other

If other please provide details

If you have apprentices/trainees do you intend to change the number you employ over the next 12 months?

Choose one of the following answers

Increase

Maintain

Decrease

Unsure

No answer

Other:

Do you currently receive financial incentives through the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives System?

Choose one of the following answers

Yes

No

Don't know

No answer

Other:

How are financial incentives for apprentices and trainees used in your company?

Select all that apply

Funds employment of apprentice master/supervisor
Funds other training programs
Offsetting costs/reduced productivity associated with employing apprentices/trainees
Funds mentoring program
Funds internal rotation scheme
Other

If other, please provide detail

What would be the impact upon your employment of apprentices and trainees if existing financial incentives were no longer available?

Choose one of the following answers

No impact

Somewhat reduced employment

Significantly reduced employment

Don't know

No answer

Other:

Under what industrial instrument do you employ apprentices and trainees?

Select all that apply

If award, please state the award name

We would like to gather an estimate of the indirect costs of employing and training an apprentice. Please indicate the amount of time (hours) in a typical week spent on the following for one apprentice:

	Hours a supervisor/workplace trainer spends directly overseeing an apprentice’s activities	Hours spent completing other activities for an apprentice, e.g. approving logbooks	Other
Less than 5
5 to 15
15 to 25
More than 25
No answer

If other please describe

Fair Work Australia amended industrial awards in 2013 to provide for competency-based wage progression of apprentices instead of fixed-term nominal durations, with training providers required to contact employers to confirm competency before making a final decision. How well do you think the confirmation process is working in relation to your business?

Choose one of the following answers

Very well

Moderately well

Neutral

Needs improvement

Very poorly

No answer

Other:

Comments/reason for your answer

Some apprentices and trainees apply for Recognition of Prior Learning to shorten the amount of training required if they have relevant training or work experience. If your apprentices or trainees have applied in the past, can you comment on their experience?

What other methods would be helpful in fast-tracking apprenticeships in contexts where this is appropriate?

Pilots have been initiated, including some with Ai Group involvement, which have trialled apprentice-type arrangements for people seeking pathway into professional and para-professional occupations such as engineers and technicians. Training programs for these pilots have included university degrees, or hybrid models that combine trade skills with higher education training.

Would apprenticeship-type programs for occupations at Diploma or Degree levels be appropriate for your business?

Choose one of the following answers

Yes

No

Don't know

No answer

Other:

Comments

How could the apprenticeship system be improved from the perspective of your business and its use of apprentices?

If you are willing to discuss your responses in more detail please provide an email address

Please confirm you want to clear your response?