The Mitchell Institute estimates new apprenticeships/traineeships will decline by 30% within two years. This equates to approximately 130,000 fewer new apprentices and trainees from the start of the pandemic to June 2023.

Currently enrolled apprentices/trainees are forecast to decline by approximately 20%, falling to their lowest level in 2023 where it is forecasted there will 50,000 fewer apprentices/trainees ‘in training’.

There are policy responses that will help reduce the impact of the coronavirus on apprentices and trainees. These are:

• increasing employer incentives and wage subsidies to make it easier for employers to keep current apprentices and trainees or bring on new ones;
• integrating new apprentices and trainees into public spending projects to grow the number of opportunities available; and
• establishing innovative labour market programs that provide apprentices and trainees with work in their occupation while the economy recovers.