Trade-up in quest for skills The Age, Australia
The economic impact is profound, extending well beyond the everyday frustrations of not being able to find tradespeople. The ACTU estimates that over the next decade, there will be a national shortage of 250,000 traditional trades apprentices, at a potential cost of $9 billion in lost output. The peak union body wants a new deal for apprentices: more places, structured training, mentors and wage supplements.
It is remarkable that we could be facing such a crisis, given an unemployment rate of almost 16 per cent in the apprentice age group: 15 to 19. But it is due to one of the most significant cultural shifts in recent decades: society measuring success by university qualifications.
Andrew Rimington, a senior policy adviser with the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the skills shortage has been largely caused by an ageing workforce, particularly in blue-collar areas.