RISING QUICKLY TO THE TASK

MORE Aussies are understanding the value of apprenticeships and traineeships but they are not necessarily seeing them through.

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research reveals training commencements were up 7.6 per cent year on year in the December 2017 quarter, with 35,945 trade and non-trade commencements.

About 9.3 per cent more Australians began apprenticeships and 6.3 per cent more began traineeships than in the same period in 2016.

The most notable increases were in automotive and engineering trades (up 20.9 per cent), general clerical work (25.2 per cent) and construction trades (12.3 per cent).

Despite the growing enthusiasm to commence training, the number of completions decreased 8.4 per cent year-on-year. Just 25,105 apprentices and trainees finished in the December 2017 quarter. Overall there were 256,140 apprentices and trainees in training on December 31, 2017 – 2.8 per cent fewer than a year earlier.

Chloe Dyker (pictured), 21, is in the final year of her bakery apprenticeship which involves obtaining a Certificate III in Retail Baking through TAFE.

She says the training is “not that difficult”, particularly because it is something that she enjoys.

“You obviously have to find something you love doing to be able to do four years of training, but it’s well worth it,” Dyker says.

“Four years is bugger all time to get a qualification and be almost guaranteed a job when you are older. They are always looking for bakers. It’s a job that is always needed, you are always going to want bakeries around.”

She says bakers also have the opportunity to travel with their trade. Dyker won the bronze medal for bread baking at the WorldSkills National Championships held last month.