Address to Apprentice Connect Australia Provider CEOs

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I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet today.

In my case that is the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, and I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

Thank you for making time to meet with me today.

Just a few days out from the 1 July start of our new apprenticeship support services model, I understand what a busy time it must be for you and your staff.

I want to start by saying congratulations.

Tendering for one of the largest civilian procurements the Australian Government undertakes requires substantial investment of time, energy and resources.

I’m especially encouraged by the increased number of providers.

And I’m looking forward to seeing the greater variety of approaches to supporting apprentices and employers, including from our specialist providers.

Over the years apprenticeships have played a critical role in Australia’s workforce and economic development.

As custodians of the system, you play a vital role in ensuring that every person that puts themselves forward for an apprenticeship will have the right support available to help them complete.

This will not only benefit the apprentice and their employer, but it will also benefit the nation as we prepare for future challenges and opportunities in an increasingly dynamic global economy.

When you think about it, pretty much every qualified tradesperson under the age of 45, and plenty older than that, was signed-up and supported by an Australian Government funded provider.

Services and their delivery have evolved over time – from hard copy training contracts to online lodgements.

Efficiencies created have allowed providers to increase their focus on wraparound supports to assist apprentices towards completion.

However, the introduction of COVID wage subsidies by the previous Coalition Government meant providers were spending more time completing paperwork than delivering support.

We want to change that.

We all know that apprentices receiving in-training support are more likely to complete their apprenticeship, than their peers who did not.

The nature of that support makes a difference too.

We know that a more personalised, face to face approach is more useful to an apprentice than a generic text message every six months or so.

And that is why with this new model we want to see more personalised support for those that need it.

In particular, apprentices who need more specialised support to continue with their training and employers who need to develop their supervisor skills and learn how to create safe workplaces.

All of this with the goal of being able to see, anecdotally and through data, that these services support completions.

As you would expect, given the new support services model, the government has a number of priorities that will be important in your service delivery, regardless of whether you are a generalist provider, specialist provider, or both.

The ability to offer complementary services across a large range of issues relevant to apprenticeships is more important than ever.

For example, the transition to Net Zero is a high priority for the government.

Ensuring that the workforce has the requisite skills that will get us there is key.

While we build off a small base, the investment in specialist clean energy providers and expanding eligibility for the New Energy Apprenticeships Program sets the scene for growth in these types of apprenticeships.

Providers will also need to work collaboratively with the recently announced New Energy Mentoring providers and support the variety of government initiatives to create the skills in our workforce for a Net Zero future.

The introduction of specialist providers for women in male-dominated trades will build upon the important work already underway to grow the number of women apprentices in trades and support employers to ensure their workplaces are suitable.

More women entering and completing their training is essential if we are to succeed in realising our Net Zero and Future Made in Australia ambitions, as well as meeting our ambitious housing targets. 

We must do better at supporting not only the women that enter these trades but their employers, particularly employers that have not employed women before.

Workplace culture is one of the critical factors that determine whether or not an apprentice completes their training.

The importance of all providers guiding employers and apprentices about what constitutes a positive workplace culture cannot be overstated.

There will also be opportunities to work with other government initiatives such as the Building Women’s Careers program and targets for women under the Australian Skills Guarantee.

Linking up these initiatives, with providers well placed to drive these connections, will achieve better outcomes for women.

I would also like to take a moment to focus on First Nations apprentices.

I think apprenticeships have a justifiably proud record of First Nations participation.

The latest NCVER data shows around 6 per cent of apprentices identify as First Nations.

That’s almost double the 3.2% of people who identified as First Nations in the 2021 Census.

However, if we are going to make progress towards our Closing the Gap target of 70 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds holding a Certificate III qualification or higher, we need to support young First Nations people into higher levels of training with improved completion rates.

Part of the solution is designing apprenticeship support services by First Nations people for First Nations people and supporting employers to create culturally safe workplaces.

This is why we have made First Nations apprentices a service specialisation cohort and a key client group.

All providers have a role to play.

As we transform apprenticeship support to be more apprentice-centred, it is important to note the strong feedback we received through consultations around the provision of support for employers.

We know that one of the key reasons for apprenticeship non-completion is issues in the workplace.

More specifically, a breakdown of the vital relationship between an apprentice and their supervisor.

While many businesses employ experienced supervisors, others, particularly small businesses, often require more support to develop those skills within their organisation.

This is why we are focussed on including employers and workplaces in assessment services to identify the support that they might need.

And then ensuring there are mentoring places available to employers to assist them to improve their workplaces and develop their supervisor skills.

Together, we have a real opportunity to show how innovative and client-led apprenticeship services support completions.

Thank you.