Regardless of your age, upskilling is a vital piece of your career puzzle. Whether this includes improving your skill sets in your chosen industry or deciding to switch to another, statistics released this month from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) highlight the scope of Australians committed to improving their career prospects.
Australia’s training network continues to go from strength to strength and this announcement is another step in the right direction. NCVER Managing Director Dr Craig Fowler explained that all forms of training activities are included in the statistics rather than just the government-funded initiatives.
“Prior releases of data by NCVER reported only government-funded training activity which showed, in the last annual release, that 1.8 million students were in training,” he said.
“With this wider collection of training under ‘total VET activity’, we now know there are significantly more people in training – 3.9 million students.”
Based on the data provided, the NCVER revealed that close to a quarter (23.3 per cent) of Australia’s working population aged between 15 and 64 years participated in either vocational education or training last year. This includes more than 2 million at private training providers.
Why start an apprenticeship or traineeship?
There are many reasons to engage in vocational education, whether you are a high school student or seasoned employee. Here are two examples.
- Dream career change
In past years, many people chose their careers based on the thoughts of their parents or teachers. However, they always had a dream of pursuing a different path.
If this sounds familiar, an apprenticeship could be the key to making the career switch as smooth as possible. In many part-time courses, you are able to continue your current job while pursuing an apprenticeship of at least 15 hours a week.
- Alternative to university study
University is not a career path that all Australian students want to venture down – especially if you don’t have the qualifications to enter the system.
The true benefit of a school-based apprenticeship is that students who fit the criteria can engage in the industry they want to pursue at a young age. As well as gaining vital career skills, the on-the-job training forms a base of knowledge for future endeavours.
Want to find out more?
As the statistics above highlight, more Australians are committed to changing their career prospects with new traineeships and apprenticeships.
If you fall into this category, the information on Apprenticeship Central is vital. This website provides insight into different career paths through the Harrison Career Assessment and has case studies to assist your choice.
To learn more about what apprenticeships and traineeships are available, contact our friendly team today.
