ARMIDALE is bucking the trend for the rest of the nation when it comes to students studying an apprenticeship.
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A study completed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research found that students in both trade and non-trade apprenticeships were more likely to drop out than past students.
According to the centre, overall completion rates have declined from 53.5 per cent to 52.4 per cent last year.
New England TAFE has endured some turbulent times this years with massive funding cuts and an overhaul to the
TAFE computer administration system.
But despite all this, it seems the Armidale campus has actually enjoyed an increase in enrolments.
TAFE New England Relieving Institute Director Lyn Rickard said they go out of their way to make sure students have everything they need to complete their studies.
“[We] collaborate with local employers, apprentices and the Australian Apprenticeships Support Network to provide all apprentices with every opportunity to complete their qualification,” Ms Rickard said.
One reason why Armidale may be shaking off the apprentice woes is its location as a regional hub.
The Express reported last month that while apprentices in the city were being labelled as lazy and unprofessional their regional counterparts were doing much better.
Head teacher of construction at TAFE New England Grant Petersen thinks there is a perception that the economy is in a downturn and that may impact on available apprenticeships, the value of bring an apprentice on board is still high.
“It’s not easy to get an apprenticeship, but persistence usually pays off,” Mr Petersen said.
“Smart businesses continue to recognise that training their own apprentices is an effective and affordable way of bringing on new staff.”
Chief Executive Officer for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ron Maxwell also highlighted pay and conditions as a reason drop outs are increasing.
He encouraged people thinking of an apprenticeship to look at the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network.
“The network aims to boost the overall completion rates by matching apprentices and trainees with both the right career path and employer upfront,” he said.
