No apprentice or trainee commences without an employer. This report highlights the experiences of employers in the system. To meet current and future skills needs, Australia needs an urgent and sustained step change in the numbers of apprentices and trainees commencing and completing. Yet, in recent years, apprentice and trainee commencements appear to be reverting to pre-pandemic trends.

Every decision to employ an apprentice or trainee weighs up a broad range of costs and benefits. Financial incentives received by employers of apprentices and trainees are an important component of the economic equation for businesses of all sizes and across all industries. 

This report highlights employer case studies, and identifies six areas of priority against which ten evidence-based recommendations are made. The recommendations focus on strengthening the apprenticeship and traineeship system from the perspective of employers to ensure it continues to meet the skills needs of industry, and Australia, for many years to come.

Priority areas

1. Ensuring the economic equation remains viable for employers
2. Widening the pool of employers offering apprenticeships and traineeships
3. Ensuring a strong future pipeline of apprentices and trainees
4. Expanding the apprenticeship model into new areas
5. Minimising inconsistency across jurisdictions
6. Supporting high quality apprenticeship and traineeship experiences.