New national research has found that most apprentices and trainees in Australia want to remain in their apprenticeship, and most employers are doing a good job of retaining them.
However, wellbeing challenges and inconsistent workplace support could determine whether they ultimately complete their training.
The finding comes as apprenticeship and traineeship commencements continue to decline across the country, making it more important than ever to address the factors driving attrition.
The National First Year Experience Report, released by Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA), captures the experiences of more than 12,000 current and former apprentices and trainees across Australia, offering an unprecedented national picture of their experience.
Among the key findings, around 76 per cent of current Australian Apprentices said they had not considered leaving, indicating that most are motivated to complete their training and that many employers are providing the foundations for a positive experience.
However, the report also found that apprentices experiencing sadness, anxiety or worry were 65 per cent more likely to consider leaving, underlining the strong link between mental health and completion rates.
Cost of living pressures are also weighing heavily on apprentices, with 55 per cent reporting they were quite or extremely affected.
That figure rose to 58 per cent among apprentices living with disability and 60 per cent among First Nations Australian Apprentices.
Career advice at school also emerged as a weak point, with only 49 per cent of respondents saying they received good information about all career pathway options.
Those who did receive balanced advice reported better mental health outcomes once they began their apprenticeship or traineeship.
The size of an organisation also shapes the apprentice experience.
Those in smaller workplaces often benefit from closer supervision, but retention risk increases when employers lack the time, systems or mentoring capacity needed to identify and address issues early.
Encouragingly, the report found that supportive workplaces are one of the strongest protections against dropout, with apprentices who felt cared for and supported at work 28 per cent less likely to consider leaving.
Apprenticeship Support Australia Chief Executive Lee Xavier said the findings challenged assumptions about why apprentices leave their training early.
“This report challenges the idea that apprentices drop out because they lack commitment,” said Xavier.
“Most apprentices and trainees want to stay, learn and build a career.”
Xavier said the research provided a clear evidence base for where support should be targeted, pointing to stronger first-year mentoring, better alignment between work and formal training, earlier access to wellbeing support and improved career advice before apprentices start.
He added that while most employers are performing well, there is room to improve consistency across the sector.
“Employers play a critical role in whether an apprentice stays and succeeds,” said Xavier.
Xavier said practical, low-cost actions such as regular check-ins, clear expectations, structured mentoring and workplaces where apprentices feel comfortable raising concerns could make a meaningful difference to completion rates.
The report is expected to inform policy discussions about how governments, employers and training providers can better support apprentices and trainees through their critical first year, at a time when boosting completion rates is seen as key to addressing Australia’s skills shortages.