February 2021 – AEN WA Policy Document
Across Australia, the numbers of apprentices and trainees collapsed at the height of the COVID-induced recession, and numbers have only just begun to recover.
The group training network felt the full brunt of the decline, with hundreds of apprentices and trainees in Western Australia being handed back by host businesses. Group Training Organisations (GTO) maintained apprentices and trainees, paid their wages and entitlements and have placed almost all back into work.
However, the longer-term impacts of the economic decline are yet to play out. For the apprenticeship sector to remain strong and serve as a generator of skilled employment, there will need to be strong government intervention and support.
AEN WA is calling on the major political parties at the state election to commit to policies and programs that will support the apprenticeship sector and specifically recognise the work of group training during the pandemic and its place in helping to rebuild businesses and skilled employment during the recovery. Read More
