Almost half of Australia's young apprentices drop out of their training

Trade jobs are losing their appeal, termed a ‘mid-life crisis’ by The Australian, with around half of apprentices dropping out of their training.

New South Wales Skills Minister John Barilaro has spoken of the shortage of skilled trade workers as an influence of declining encouragement to pursue apprenticeships, with parents pushing kids to head to university instead.

"We’re paying the price of two or three decades of telling kids that trade jobs won’t get you a great lifestyle or income" says Bariloro.

According to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), one in three apprentices in construction trades, hairdressing or the food industry completed their apprenticeships. Meanwhile, a third of construction workers and 15 per cent of hairdressers pulled out of an apprenticeship within the first year.