The McKell Institute of Victoria has released a report into the state’s apprenticeship system. The ‘Working, Learning: Better supporting Victorian apprentices on the job’ report found that bullying, harassment and unpaid wages were on the rise for apprentices, with few knowing where to turn to for help. According to the report, approximately two-thirds of Victorian apprentices were not aware of the Victorian Registration & Qualifications Authority’s (VRQA) roles and responsibilities, as the state’s apprenticeship regulator. The report calls for greater accountability for employers, better support for apprentices, and more regulation.

In response to the report, the Victorian Trades Hall Council has called for urgent action to ensure apprentices receive the instruction, support, respect and safety they need for their on-the-job training, particularly due to the growing demand for apprenticeships. There is currently no vetting system for employers to hire apprentices, little to no regulation of employers, and no system in place to identify or punish employers who mistreat their employees and/or commit wage theft. The report revealed that although apprenticeship numbers have increased recently, they fell significantly over the last decade, with apprenticeship completion rates also falling below the national average. The report reveals that, “Fewer than 20,000 Victorian apprentices completed their training in each of the years just prior to the pandemic,” while some occupations — most notably in the hospitality and food industries — experienced a “significant decline” in training rates over the last two decades.

Employer-related issues were a critical factor in apprenticeship completion, with the report from the McKell Institute indicating that “reported incidence of workplace issues, including bullying and harassment, and unpaid wages,” are on the rise. The need for support has also increased, with the report finding “3-times growth in the percentage of apprentices who need support to understand their contract obligations, and a 6-times increase in the percentage of employers who need the same”. Tellingly, the report found that the VRQA’s apprenticeship field services — that are currently outsourced — visited approximately 1.2% of all apprentices each year, which equates to three visits per working day by all of its authorised officers.

The report drew on the Victorian Young Workers Centre — a non-government organisation which sits within the Victorian Trades Hall Council and provides resources, training and support to help young people understand their rights at work — for additional data and found that in its 2019–20 Annual Report, it experienced an increase in the number of Victorian apprentices reaching out with employment issues. This increase also continued into 2020–21. The employment issues experienced by apprentices reaching out to the Victorian Young Workers Centre included, but were not limited to, bullying and harassment, unsafe workplaces, unpaid TAFE fees and wage theft. The Young Workers Centre also revealed that complaints from apprentices have now risen to one in two of their ongoing clients, with exploitation and abuse reported across all sectors — from hairdressing and hospitality to construction and beyond.

The report has urged the Victorian Government to consider that the policy measures being used by governments and industry to make apprenticeships more appealing must include action to fix the on-the-job experience of apprentices. “When an apprentice experiences onsite bullying and harassment, intimidation, or is subjected to dangerous conditions, they are less likely to finish their apprenticeship. When an apprentice is underpaid, or has unpaid TAFE fees or superannuation, they are less likely to finish their apprenticeship. When an apprentice receives little or no on-the-job training their engagement is as cheap labour rather than workers requiring skill development, they are less likely to finish their apprenticeship. Exploitation is not conducive to learning, and employers need to be held accountable when these issues exist in the workplace,” the report said.

Following the release of the report, the Young Workers Centre called on the Victorian Government to change how it regulates the apprenticeship system, with YWC activists campaigning, sharing their stories with the media, holding community meetings and running online actions. The Young Workers Centre has also called for safe environments for all apprentices, in the lead-up to the state election on 26 November.

Image credit: iStock.com/Lyndon Stratford