Mature Apprenticeships

Many of you want to know how feasible it is for you to take on an apprenticeships/traineeships mid-career. I’ve enlisted the help of James Barron, CEO of Group Training Australia to find out the facts. GTA represent about 150 training organisations around Australia and it employs 40,000 apprentices and trainees.

A mature-age apprentice is defined as 30-years-old or older (as opposed to the definition of a mature age “worker” who is 45 or over). As of June 2006, 33 per cent of apprentices were aged 19 or under and 27 per cent were aged 20 to 24. In the “mature” category, 12 per cent were aged 30-39 and 5.8 per cent aged 40 or over. Factors driving the increase in older apprentices/trainees include the increasing skills shortage, the advantages of having a greater mix of old and young people on the same work site and the high drop out rate amongst young apprentices. Mr Barron said current research showed 40 per cent of people drop out of their apprenticeship within their first two years. (Interestingly, about 40 per cent of people who start university also drop out.) “The push for mature age apprentices is really now just beginning,” Mr Barron said.

Some sectors/roles are deemed more suitable for mature apprentices than others given the advantages they offer over younger apprentices such as life skills and disadvantages such as less physical fitness and strength (in general terms). Areas identified include aged care, some trades, retail and finance. The average traineeship lasts one to two years while an apprenticeship lasts four years. Mr Barron said anyone considering an apprenticeship should seek “recognition for prior learning”. This can cut the length of an apprenticeship by a year or more. Your skills can be assessed at a TAFE college.

Wages and the costs of training are a big issue especially for those with a mortgage and or family to support. Mr Barron said wages differ from state to state and award to award. As a rough guide, a first year apprentice earns about $300-$400 a week and a second year apprentice about $500 a week. A yearly subsidy of $7,800 or $150 a week is paid to employers taking on an apprentice aged 30 or over who is undertaking a Certificate II to Certificate IV qualification.

A subsidy of $5,200 pa or $100 a week is paid in the second year. It appears it’s up to the employer to decide how to use the money – boost your wage, pay for your training or offset the cost of having an untrained person on staff.

When you are shopping for an apprenticeship it’s obviously important to check if an employer will be topping up your wage or assisting with training costs. Mr Barron recommends speaking to an expert to help you work this out.