According to the latest data released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 7,689 apprentices and trainees joined the mining workforce in 2022, an overall increase of 19 per cent.
Commencements for First Nations apprentices and trainees in the industry also increased by 14 per cent, but the greatest increase was in the number of women commencing – a 26 per cent increase compared to 2021.
Apprenticeships and traineeships are an important pathway into the minerals industry, with high demand for qualified tradespeople in highly paid and secure jobs.
The mining industry has invested in collaborative partnerships such as developing tailored work readiness, apprenticeship and traineeship, cadetship and recruitment pathways.
The growth in female apprentices and trainees reflects the industry’s continued effort to increase the representation of women across the workforce.
The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) said that while these figures are very encouraging, there is no guarantee that the industry will continue to employ more Australians, including new apprentices and trainees, if policy settings discourage new employment.
The MCA said that the Federal Government’s ‘Same Job, Same Pay’ proposed legislation would severely impact the Australian mining industry’s ability to employ more apprentices, due to the requirement to pay them the same as more experienced workers who are directly employed.
According to the MCA, instead of making the industry more competitive and attractive for investment, the Federal Government’s proposed legislation would be a handbrake on mining wages, investment and jobs growth.
The NCVER’s data also revealed that the average number of apprentices and trainees in training also increased in 2022 by 16 per cent (to 11,652), which included an increase of 21 per cent of women and 16 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Overall, the number of completed apprenticeships and traineeships in the mining industry increased by ten per cent (to 3,626).
