Apprentices and trainees 2025: September quarter

THIS PUBLICATION HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED.

For the most recent release please see the Apprentices and trainees collection page.

Description

This publication provides a snapshot of apprenticeship and traineeship contracts of training across Australia.

It presents statistics on contract commencements, recommencements, completions, cancellations and withdrawals as well as contracts currently in training up until 30 September 2025, derived from the latest National Apprentice and Trainee Collection.

Seasonal trends exist across the various apprentice and trainee contract statuses. The March quarter typically sees a higher number of commencements compared to other quarters, reflecting the intake of new apprentices and trainees at the beginning of the year. In contrast, the December quarter is usually marked by a higher number of completions, as many contracts conclude towards the end of the year.

Highlights

Apprentices and trainees in-training

As at 30 September 2025, there were 297,925 active (in-training) apprentice and trainee contracts nationally, with almost three-quarters in trade occupations. The total number of in-training contracts decreased by 10.3% from 30 September 2024. Trade contracts decreased by 6.7%, to 217,350, while non-trade contracts declined by 18.8%, to 80,555.

Trade occupations

Compared with the September quarter 2024:

• Commencements increased by 17.7%. The increase in commencements coincides with the introduction of the Key Apprenticeship Program (KAP) on 1 July 2025, providing incentives to apprentices and trainees commencing in construction and energy related qualifications. The largest increases were among Construction Trades Workers (up 1,375, or by 36.5%, to 5,135) (predominantly among Bricklayers, and Carpenters and Joiners) and Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers (up 415, or by 14.4%, to 3,300). These occupations accounted for 32.2% and 20.7% of all commencing trade contracts respectively.
• Completions increased by 12.8% overall, continuing an upward trend since the September quarter 2023. The largest increases from the September quarter 2024 were among Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers (up 675, or by 29.5%, to 2,955) and Construction Trades Workers (up 540, or by 18.7%, to 3,440) (predominantly among Plumbers). These occupations accounted for 24.7% and 28.7% of all completed trade contracts respectively.
• Cancellations and withdrawals increased by 1.6 % overall. The largest increases were among Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers (up 135, or by 4.0%, to 3,500) and Skilled Animal, Agricultural and Horticultural Workers (up 130, or by 22.9%, to 705). These occupations accounted for 24.7% and 4.9% of all cancelled or withdrawn trade contracts respectively.

Non-Trade occupations

Compared with the September quarter 2024:

• Commencements increased by 3.4%, following a decline between the September quarters in the year prior. The largest increases were among Clerical and Administrative Workers (up 235 or by 11.4% to 2,295) and Machinery Operators and Drivers, (up 220, or by 11.6%, to 2,125). These occupations accounted for 16.8% and 15.5% of all commencing non-trade contracts respectively.
• Completions decreased by 6.5% overall, continuing a downward trend since the September quarter 2023. The largest decrease from the September quarter 2024 was among Clerical and Administrative Workers (down 340, or by 16.3%, to 1,730). This occupation accounted for 16.2% of all completed non-trade contracts.
• Cancellations and withdrawals decreased by 10.8% overall. This continues the downward trend observed since the September quarter 2022. The largest decrease from the September quarter 2024 was among Clerical and Administrative Workers (down 460, or by 24.5%, to 1,410). This occupation accounted for 16.0% of all cancelled or withdrawn non-trade contracts.

Figure 1   Stock of trade and non-trade contracts of training, September quarter 2024-25

¹ In-training is comprised of active contracts, i.e., the number of contracts that have commenced, recommenced or suspended, and where contracts have not yet been completed, cancelled/withdrawn or expired.

Report

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Unless stated otherwise, data are derived from the latest National Apprentice and Trainee Collection (no. 126, December 2025 estimates), using data up until 30 September 2025, which is compiled under the Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS) for Apprentice and Trainee Collection Specifications, Release 7.0, October 2015.
2. Due to the delay in time between an event (commencement, completion, etc.) occurring and the reporting of that event to NCVER, NCVER estimates the most recent figures. The estimation method involves weighting recently processed numbers based on average reporting lags. As estimates are revised for up to seven quarters, figures for the last two years may differ from those published in earlier or subsequent reports. The final counts are those submitted by jurisdictions. Further details on the methodology can be found in the Estimation of apprentice and trainee statistics technical paper.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia brought about significant uncertainty for individuals, businesses, and governments. The resulting suspension of normal economic activities, combined with various government and economic interventions, has impacted apprentice and trainee numbers. Therefore, caution should be exercised when interpreting and comparing data from 2020 onwards.
4. In-training figures represent the number of apprenticeship and traineeship training contracts where the apprentice or trainee is actively training under the terms of their contract, and who have not completed, cancelled or withdrawn from their training, or had their training contract expired. The figure reflects the number of active contracts at a given point in time (at the end of the quarter), and therefore in-training figures cannot be cumulated over time. For this reason, quarterly comparisons are equivalent to 12-months ending comparisons, as they both represent the changes as at 30 September from one year to the next.
5. Note that the percentages presented in this product are reported to one decimal place. All other numbers, after aggregation, have been rounded to the nearest five. Rounding can lead to instances where the numbers in the body of a given table might not add to the rounded totals.
6. Unknown data have not been reported in any tables, whereas the total includes all contracts, including those with unknown status. Hence, some figures in the tables may not sum to the total.
7. Whilst the report is limited to data on contract commencements, in-training, completions and cancellations/withdrawals, data on contract recommencements, expiries and suspensions are available in VOCSTATS.
8. As the vocations approved to be under an apprenticeship or traineeship training contract are not consistent across all jurisdictions, NCVER has adopted a Trade/Non-trade categorisation for the purpose of the National Apprentices and Trainees Collection with 'Trades' classified as all occupations listed under ANZSCO major group '3-Technicians and Trades workers' and 'Non-trades' classified as all other major occupations groups 1-2 and 4-8 (Occupations are classified using the ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2022 Australian Update).

This infographic is drawn from Australian vocational education and training statistics: apprentices and trainees 2025 — September quarter, NCVER, Adelaide.

SOURCE: National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), National Apprentice and Trainee collection no. 126, December 2025 estimates, Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025, December). Labour Force, Australia, Detailed. cat. no. 6291.0.55.001, see https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/latest-release.