After a decade of decline VET starts are rising fast – now why could that be?

The estimable National Centre for Vocational Education Research reports a 10 per cent increase in trainee and apprentice starts in the 12 months to last December.  The December quarter increase for 2020 over 2019 was140 per cent.

So, after years of decline young Australians have realised the appeal of training, unless of course Commonwealth wage subsidies have something to do with it. Starting last October and running to March ’22 the Commonwealth will pay 50 per cent of the wages of a new or recommencing apprentice or trainee.

So that’s the end of a decline in numbers that ran for much of the last decade – starting after the last Commonwealth wage scheme finished.