Crossed wires: Why half of our apprentice sparkies quit before they qualify
Just under half of all electrician apprenticeships are not completed, raising questions about how Australia will deal with the energy crisis and cutting carbon emissions.
Wages for skilled tradesmen are pushing wages up. (File image)
Energy Minister Chris Bowen will meet with industry leaders and unions on Tuesday ahead of the jobs and skills summit next week.
The meeting comes as a survey commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union shows the electrical apprentice completion rate sits at 52 per cent.
As well, more than 37 per cent of respondents said they had considered quitting, with wages, work culture and the cost of living topping the reasons for doing so.
One-third of apprentices felt their wages did not cover essentials such as food, travel and housing.
The research also raised questions about the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, which is slated to cost $920 million over four years.
Seven network providers, operating from around 130 full-time sites, with about 500 mobile field officers, are contracted by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment to provide “personalised advice and support”, according to the network’s website.
The survey showed one in 10 apprentices said they received mentoring from their AASN provider and half received no support of any kind from their AASN provider.
More than two-thirds of respondents to the Essential Media survey of 642 electrical apprentices were unsure if they had an AASN provider.
ETU acting national secretary Michael Wright said the system was broken.
“With apprentices considering quitting in droves, urgent action is needed to arrest a looming skills crisis that could have shocking consequences for generations,” he said.
“The crisis is made worse by the abject failure of the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network system.”
He said the future of the energy sector hinged on training tens of thousands of electrical tradespeople and overhauling the AASN system should be a national priority.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has listed electrician as one of the top 10 in-demand jobs over the next five years.
A Senate committee will meet on Tuesday to hear submissions on the government’s proposed laws to set up a new body called Jobs and Skills Australia.
The committee will hear from unions, business groups, TAFE and the employment department.
