The former Liberal Government told South Australians it created an additional 20,815 apprenticeships and traineeships as part of their election commitment, when in fact, new figures revealed today show they fell short of their target by thousands.
New analysis on the number of apprentices and trainees using data from the independent National Centre for Vocational Education Research shows the former Liberal Government reached just 15,020 – only 72 per cent of what was promised.
More starkly, it took the former Federal Liberal Government introducing a wage subsidy during the COVID-19 pandemic to prop up the numbers.
In its first two years, the former State Liberal Government created less than 1,000 extra apprentices and trainees. It was only when a time limited COVID wage subsidy was introduced by the Federal Government that numbers began to rise.
It can also be revealed that the courses of greatest growth in the 15,020 commencements over the past four years were in the following areas:
- Certificate IV in Leadership and Management – 8,160 per cent increase in commencements
- Diploma of Leadership and Management – 12,533 per cent increase in commencements
- Certificate III in Fitness – 4,200 per cent increase in commencements
- Certificate III in Business – 305 per cent increase in commencements
- Certificate IV in Business – 1,331 per cent increase in commencements
- Certificate IV in Marketing and Communications – 1,367 per cent increase in commencements
- Certificate III in Retail – 57 per cent increase in commencements
- Certificate IV in Retail Management – 667 per cent increase in commencements
Former Skills Minister David Pisoni did a dodgy deal with the Federal Liberal Government under Skilling South Australia to count non-apprenticeships as apprenticeships in their data so they could claim they met their target when they didn't. This deal included counting:
- Pre-apprenticeships (Certificate II courses that can lead to apprenticeships but are not apprenticeships)
- Non-apprenticeship courses that included industry or employer involvement and might lead to further study or an apprenticeship or traineeship
This is not what the Liberal Party promised South Australians when they said they would create an additional 20,815 apprenticeships and traineeships.
Since the conclusion of the time limited COVID wage subsidy, commencements have reverted to above pre-COVID levels following the significant work of the Malinauskas Labor Government in the skills sector – including an unprecedented $2.3 billion joint contribution from the State and Federal Governments through the National Skills Agreement:
- Trade apprentice commencements are up 30.1 per cent compared to 2019 – the third highest in the nation.
- Completions are up 14.2 per cent and cancellations and withdrawals are down 21.6 per cent.
- 64.2 per cent of apprentices and trainees are studying in government priority areas – a year ago this was only 55.3 per cent.
As put by Blair Boyer
It beggars belief that the Liberal Party would mislead South Australians about the number of people doing apprenticeships and traineeships to make it look like they delivered what they promised.
This is yet another election commitment the Liberal Party failed to deliver – just like the right hand tram turn, GlobeLink and rate capping.
It's no wonder we inherited a skills crisis when so much of the growth in apprenticeships and traineeships were in areas like business, fitness and retail that are not a high priority for a state preparing to build nuclear submarines and construct 40,000 new homes.
The Malinauskas Labor Government is focused on getting South Australians into training in priority areas and making sure students actually finish their apprenticeship and traineeship – two crucial areas of focus that the Liberal Party took no interest in while in government.
