Pepsi or Coca-Cola, soft or hard tacos, an apprenticeship or university? In life, we’re often encouraged to pick a side with little more than the perception of one option being better than another.

Many students nearing the end of high school face a common question concerning their future: do I pick an apprenticeship or pursue university? For young people feeling the pressure to choose the best long-term career path, there’s new research that could help make their decision a little easier.

A recent study of the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth made some remarkably positive findings about outcomes of apprenticeships. The study found that young people who had completed an apprenticeship by age 25 had the highest level of employment and the highest level of job satisfaction. Perhaps, surprising many, they were also the highest paid when compared to their peers who had obtained certificate level qualifications, diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, and even post-graduate degrees.

Given that an apprenticeship is one of the key pathways into a career in building and construction, and that construction trades account for a very large share of apprenticeships, this research provides a glowing endorsement of the training and career opportunities within our industry.

It also validates the positive outcomes that people in our industry witness firsthand. Young people begin an apprenticeship, build their competencies, then become proficient, and highly sought-after skilled tradespeople. Those who have been in the industry long enough have also witnessed their career progression as they become business operators, licensed builders, or they move into other occupations in the industry.

In evaluating job satisfaction, the researchers didn’t even consider the fact that those who had obtained graduate or post-graduate degrees paid a hefty price tag for the privilege. Many will be laden with student debt for years to come, and they will have their wages chipped at until the debt is fully repaid. No doubt many will suffer from buyer’s remorse when their pay slip shows the extent of their HECS-HELP loan repayments being deducted.

Meanwhile, apprentices are paid to learn.

These positive findings about apprenticeship outcomes also validate our collective frustration that young people are sold the dream that a university degree is the ticket to a well-paid and fulfilling career. This has the effect of steering people away from considering careers in construction since training for new entrants to the industry is primarily delivered by the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

In this regard, all industries that rely on the VET sector for workforce training face challenges. This sector has an image problem. It has become a mainstream belief that university education provides students with the best chance of achieving career success, while vocational education is the fall-back option…a second-tier system that delivers lesser career opportunities.

This narrative is used to encourage secondary school students to study hard, get a good tertiary entrance ranking score and go to university.

The tertiary entrance ranking system perpetuates this hierarchy in post-secondary school pathways whereby ‘successful’ students are those who do well academically and go to university. Those who are ‘less successful’ instead go into vocational education or enter the workforce. This has created an unwarranted stigma on vocational education and apprenticeships.

Compounding the issue is the way the performance of secondary schools and teachers are evaluated. Most of the time it is in terms of academic achievement. High tertiary entrance ranking scores and a high proportion of students progressing to university have become markers of success for secondary schools.

Whether secondary schools intentionally or overtly disparage VET, biases exist. It is common for schools to celebrate the success of students who achieve high tertiary entrance ranks in internal and external communications, while it is far less common that a student with exceptional performance in vocational studies would receive comparable accolades.
This research has provided much-needed evidence of the positive outcomes from apprenticeships, but more must be done if the entrenched biases against VET are to be corrected. The status of education and training should not be a consideration for any person pursuing their career of choice.

Positive findings about apprenticeship outcomes validate our collective frustration that young people are sold the dream that university is the ticket to a well-paid and fulfilling career, steering people away from considering careers in construction.

Geordan Murray, Executive Director - Industry Policy

At the request of the Minister for Skills and Training, the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training is undertaking an inquiry into the perceptions and status of vocational education and training. HIA will be watching its progression and is hopeful the inquiry can identify appropriate actions for governments that will restore perceptions of the VET sector. For the ongoing success of our industry, it’s vital we have greater recognition that construction apprenticeships provide a pathway to career success.

Read HIA’s submission to the Inquiry into the Perceptions and Status of VET.

First published on 17 May 2023