❓ WA parliamentary question reveals that 4% of apprentices are facing delays in completion times, with average delays varying by trade category. It also details apprentice transfers between public and private training providers.
AnsweredQoN 1304Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the completion times of apprentices enrolled in the Western Australian training system, and I ask: (a) How many apprentices are facing a delay in their completion times; (b) Please provide the expected time delays for apprentices and their trades; and (c) How many apprentices have left the public system to be trained in the private system before their completion date?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 October 2024
Responded by
Minister for Training and Workforce Development
Response time
7 days
a) As at 31 August 2024, there were 27, 341 apprentices in training in WA. Of these, 1,094 (4%) have an expected completion date later than their original nominal completion date.
(b) Expected completion date can extend beyond the original nominal completion date for a variety of reasons including apprentices needing to repeat units of competency, apprentices experiencing illness or injury, employers not signing off apprentices as competent, employers not releasing apprentices for block training due to work schedules, and training provider scheduling of block training not suiting the apprentice and/or employer.
Table 1 provides a breakdown by trade category, of the 1,094 apprentices in training who have an expected completion date later than their original nominal completion date:
Trade Category
Average delay (days)
Automotive
246
Building & Construction
236
Community Services, Health & Education
319
Electrical
265
Food
342
Hospitality & Tourism
224
Light Manufacturing
199
Metals, Manufacturing & Services
317
Primary Industry
335
Process Manufacturing
289
Utilities, Electrotechnology & Printing
231
Wholesale, Retail & Personal Services
312
Table 1: Average difference (in days) between nominal and expected completion dates for apprentices in training as at 31 August 2024 – by trade category
(c) In the 12 months to 31 August 2024:
· 220 apprentices have transferred from a TAFE College to a private training provider; and
· 211 apprentices have transferred from a private training provider to a TAFE college.
(b) Expected completion date can extend beyond the original nominal completion date for a variety of reasons including apprentices needing to repeat units of competency, apprentices experiencing illness or injury, employers not signing off apprentices as competent, employers not releasing apprentices for block training due to work schedules, and training provider scheduling of block training not suiting the apprentice and/or employer.
Table 1 provides a breakdown by trade category, of the 1,094 apprentices in training who have an expected completion date later than their original nominal completion date:
Trade Category
Average delay (days)
Automotive
246
Building & Construction
236
Community Services, Health & Education
319
Electrical
265
Food
342
Hospitality & Tourism
224
Light Manufacturing
199
Metals, Manufacturing & Services
317
Primary Industry
335
Process Manufacturing
289
Utilities, Electrotechnology & Printing
231
Wholesale, Retail & Personal Services
312
Table 1: Average difference (in days) between nominal and expected completion dates for apprentices in training as at 31 August 2024 – by trade category
(c) In the 12 months to 31 August 2024:
· 220 apprentices have transferred from a TAFE College to a private training provider; and
· 211 apprentices have transferred from a private training provider to a TAFE college.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.