This data includes the numbers, industries and demographics of Australia’s small business apprentices and trainees and illustrates the diversity of this part of the small business workforce. Please note that the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) defines small businesses as those with less than 20 employees for this data.
Key findings
- Small businesses employed 42% of all apprentices and trainees in-training as at 31 December 2023.
- More than half (54%) of apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small businesses are in the construction industry.
- Over two thirds (72%) of apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small businesses were aged 24 and under in December 2023.
- The number of apprentices and trainees in-training aged 45 years and over employed by small businesses decreased 32% in the year to December 2023.
- The number of apprentices and trainees employed by small businesses who completed their training decreased by 7% in December 2023 from the year prior.
- The number of apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small businesses decreased by 8% in the year to December 2023.
1. Small business apprentices and trainees
Number of small business apprentices and trainees
Small businesses employed 144,257 apprentices and trainees in-training on 31 December 2023. This was a 8% decrease compared to the same time the previous year, and a 5% decrease compared to September quarter 2023.
Table 1: Apprentices and trainees in-training by employer size, December 2023
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024.
Small businesses accounted for 42% of all apprentices and trainees in-training as at 31 December 2023. This proportion is significantly higher than medium or large businesses, accounting for 26% and 25% respectively.
Chart 1: Apprentices and trainees in-training by employer size
| Small(%) | Medium(%) | Large(%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun-08 | 27.00 | 22.00 | 24.00 |
| Sep-08 | 27.00 | 22.00 | 25.00 |
| Dec-08 | 27.00 | 23.00 | 25.00 |
| Mar-09 | 28.00 | 22.00 | 25.00 |
| Jun-09 | 28.00 | 23.00 | 25.00 |
| Sep-09 | 28.00 | 23.00 | 25.00 |
| Dec-09 | 29.00 | 23.00 | 26.00 |
| Mar-10 | 30.00 | 24.00 | 26.00 |
| Jun-10 | 31.00 | 24.00 | 27.00 |
| Sep-10 | 31.00 | 25.00 | 28.00 |
| Dec-10 | 32.00 | 26.00 | 29.00 |
| Mar-11 | 33.00 | 27.00 | 31.00 |
| Jun-11 | 33.00 | 28.00 | 32.00 |
| Sep-11 | 33.00 | 28.00 | 32.00 |
| Dec-11 | 33.00 | 28.00 | 32.00 |
| Mar-12 | 32.00 | 28.00 | 33.00 |
| Jun-12 | 30.00 | 29.00 | 35.00 |
| Sep-12 | 31.00 | 29.00 | 34.00 |
| Dec-12 | 31.00 | 28.00 | 34.00 |
| Mar-13 | 32.00 | 28.00 | 34.00 |
| Jun-13 | 32.00 | 27.00 | 34.00 |
| Sep-13 | 31.00 | 27.00 | 35.00 |
| Dec-13 | 32.00 | 27.00 | 35.00 |
| Mar-14 | 32.00 | 27.00 | 35.00 |
| Jun-14 | 33.00 | 26.00 | 35.00 |
| Sep-14 | 33.00 | 26.00 | 35.00 |
| Dec-14 | 34.00 | 26.00 | 34.00 |
| Mar-15 | 35.00 | 26.00 | 33.00 |
| Jun-15 | 36.00 | 26.00 | 33.00 |
| Sep-15 | 37.00 | 26.00 | 32.00 |
| Dec-15 | 37.00 | 26.00 | 31.00 |
| Mar-16 | 38.00 | 26.00 | 31.00 |
| Jun-16 | 38.00 | 26.00 | 30.00 |
| Sep-16 | 38.00 | 26.00 | 30.00 |
| Dec-16 | 39.00 | 26.00 | 30.00 |
| Mar-17 | 39.00 | 26.00 | 30.00 |
| Jun-17 | 39.00 | 26.00 | 30.00 |
| Sep-17 | 39.00 | 25.00 | 30.00 |
| Dec-17 | 39.00 | 25.00 | 30.00 |
| Mar-18 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 29.00 |
| Jun-18 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 29.00 |
| Sep-18 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 29.00 |
| Dec-18 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 29.00 |
| Mar-19 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 29.00 |
| Jun-19 | 39.00 | 26.00 | 29.00 |
| Sep-19 | 40.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 |
| Dec-19 | 40.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 |
| Mar-20 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 27.00 |
| Jun-20 | 41.00 | 26.00 | 26.00 |
| Sep-20 | 41.00 | 26.00 | 26.00 |
| Dec-20 | 41.00 | 27.00 | 25.00 |
| Mar-21 | 42.00 | 27.00 | 25.00 |
| Jun-21 | 42.00 | 27.00 | 24.00 |
| Sep-21 | 42.00 | 27.00 | 24.00 |
| Dec-21 | 42.00 | 27.00 | 24.00 |
| Mar-22 | 42.00 | 28.00 | 24.00 |
| Jun-22 | 41.00 | 28.00 | 24.00 |
| Sep-22 | 41.00 | 27.00 | 25.00 |
| Dec-22 | 42.00 | 27.00 | 25.00 |
| Mar-23 | 42.00 | 27.00 | 25.00 |
| Jun-23 | 42.00 | 26.00 | 25.00 |
| Sep-23 | 42.00 | 26.00 | 25.00 |
| Dec-23 | 42.00 | 26.00 | 25.00 |
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024.
Industry of small business apprentices and trainees
The industries with the highest proportion of small business’ apprentices and trainees in-training in December 2023 were:
• Construction (54%), mainly in electrical, carpentry and plumbing services.
• Other services (15%), mainly in hairdressing and beauty services and automotive repair and maintenance.
• Manufacturing (7%), in areas such as structural steel fabricating, bakery product manufacturing (non-factory based) and furniture manufacturing.
Table 2: Apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small business, December 2023
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024.
Location of small business apprentices and trainees
Small businesses employed nearly half of all apprentices and trainees in-training in Victoria and New South Wales in December 2023 (50% and 48% respectively).
Table 3: Apprentices and trainees in-training by workplace location and by employer size, December 2023
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024.
2. Demographics of small business apprentices and trainees
Sex
More than three quarters (79%) of apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small business in December 2023 were male (the term 'sex' is used since the data is collected using only male or female designations). These were mainly in the construction industry.
Table 4: Apprentices and trainees in-training by sex and employer size, December 2023
*Includes apprentices and trainees where sex was not stated.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024.
Age
Over seventy per cent (72%) of apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small business were aged 24 and under in December 2023. These were mainly in the construction industry. The proportion of apprentices and trainees in-training employed by small businesses aged 24 and under has increased from 68% in December 2022 to 72% in December 2023.
Table 5: Age of apprentices and trainees in-training, by business size, December 2023
*Includes apprentices and trainees in-training where age is not known.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024
People with disability
Small businesses employed 4,609 people with disability (includes people with impairment or long-term conditions) as apprentices and trainees in-training in December 2023. They accounted for 41% of all apprentices and trainees with disability in-training.
Table 6: Apprentices and trainees with disability in-training by employer size, December 2023
Note: There were an additional 4,702 apprentices and trainees in-training where disability was unknown.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024
Over half (61%) of people with disability employed by small business as apprentices and trainees in-training employed were in two industries:
- Construction (40%). The most common areas were carpentry, electrical and plumbing services.
- Other services (21%). The most common areas were hairdressing and beauty services, automotive electrical services and other automotive repair and maintenance.
Table 7: Apprentices and trainees with disability in-training employed by small business, December 2023
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024
First Nations Australians
Small businesses employed 7,457 First Nations Australians apprentices and trainees in-training in December 2023. This accounted for 36% of total First Nations Australians apprentices and trainees in-training.
Table 8: First Nations Australians apprentices and trainees in-training by employer size, December 2023
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Note: There were an additional 8,822 apprentices and trainees in-training where it was unknown whether the individual identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024
People with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Small businesses employed 6,972 apprentices and trainees in-training from non-English speaking backgrounds (based on their country of birth) in December 2023. This accounted for 30% of total apprentices and trainees in-training from non-English speaking countries.
The most common languages other than English spoken at home by small business apprentices and trainees in-training from non-English speaking backgrounds were Mandarin, Arabic and Tagalog. This was slightly different to:
- Medium businesses: Tagalog, Mandarin, and Filipino.
- Large businesses: Tagalog, Filipino, Mandarin and Hindi.
Table 9: Apprentices and trainees in-training born overseas, by employer size, December 2023
Note: There were an additional 206 apprentices and trainees in-training where the country of birth was unknown.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: VOCSTATS <https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/vocstats>, extracted on 27/08/2024
About the data
We define small businesses as those with less than 20 employees in this data. These statistics provide information on employees who are in-training at the end of the reporting period. In- training includes apprentices and trainees who are actively training under the terms of their contracts. Tables may not sum to totals due to rounding.
ASBFEO has sourced data from NCEVER's VOCSTATS. We note that NCVER states that it is not responsible for the correct extraction, analysis or interpretation of the data obtained from VOCSTATS.
