These statistics show the number of people in training, as at 31 December 2005, remained steady at 389,000, down 0.4 per cent from the end of December 2004. When comparing apprentice and trainee activity in the year ending 31 December 2005 to the previous year, the statistics show that the number of people commencing an apprenticeship or traineeship grew by 3 per cent to 264,700; that the number of people completing an apprenticeship or traineeship rose by 2 per cent to 138,700; and that the number of people cancelling or withdrawing from an apprenticeship or traineeship increased by 4 per cent, to 132,300. The number of people undertaking an ‘traditional apprenticeship’ has grown, up 11 per cent from the previous year to 148,400 as at 31 December 2005.