Apprentices, trainees in South Australia make a big rapid rise above 20,000 in 2020 – but below 30,690 in 2013

A new skills policy to boost apprenticeships was introduced by the South Australian government in 2021.

South Australian apprentice and trainee numbers passed 20,000 for the first time in six years during 2020. Data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research showed 20,895 apprentices and trainees in-the state in 2020, up 21.5% compared to 2019. There were 14,725 apprentices and trainees in South Australia at the end of 2017 year – down from 30,690 in 2013.

South Australia’s overall training growth in 2020 led Australia and it also had the largest increases in training for:
• those aged 45 and over, an increase of 65%;
• those attached to group training organisations, up 7.5%
• Aboriginal apprentices and trainees, up 12.6%.
• regional and remote apprentices and trainees, rising 25.3%.

In 2018, the new Liberal state government made South Australia the first to sign up to the federal government’s Skilling Australians Fund, giving it $87 million to add to its own $100 million commitment to boosting skills training.

The South Australian Skills Commission came into effect in July 2021 as part of a skills policy that aimed to:
• fix the subsidised training list,
• streamline the registration for employers to hire apprentices.
• create flexible apprenticeship pathways for starting full-time work in Year 12 secondary school while still completing the South Australian Certificate of Education,
• restart the industry skills councils and revitalise the training and skills commission.