Apprentices and trainees across Victoria are facing mounting financial and personal pressures, with new data revealing a growing risk to apprenticeship completion rates, training continuity and the future pipeline of skilled workers.
New insights from Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA), delivered by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, show more than half of respondents (57 per cent) are experiencing financial difficulties that are affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses such as rent, fuels, bills and tools.
Fuel and transport costs are emerging as a critical pressure point, particularly for apprentices travelling long distances or working in areas with limited public transport.
Some respondents said fuel costs were consuming almost 70 per cent of their weekly wage, while others reported spending up to $300 a week just getting to work.
These pressures are compounding broader cost-of-living stress, with apprentices describing challenges balancing rent, groceries, study costs and essential work equipment – often on first-year wages.
While 94 per cent reported stable housing, the data points to growing vulnerability, with some respondents reporting temporary living arrangements, overcrowding or risk of losing housing due to rising costs.
Transport reliability is also under strain with 14 per cent reporting they do not have reliable transport to get to work. Key barriers include fuel prices, long travel distances, poor public transport connections and the cost of maintaining a vehicle. In some cases, apprentices reported travelling up to two hours each way or relying on carpooling or walking when fuel costs become unaffordable.
The financial strain is also taking a toll on wellbeing, with more than one in three (36 per cent) reporting stress, anxiety or mental health challenges impacting their work or training.
Many respondents pointed directly to cost-of-living pressures as the driver, describing “living pay cheque to pay cheque”, losing sleep over expenses and fearing they may not be able to afford to get to work.
While most apprentices feel supported in their workplace (92 per cent), the qualitative responses reveal gaps in support, with some reporting a lack of training, unpaid overtime and no assistance with rising costs such as fuel or tools.
Encouragingly, most apprentices are staying engaged with their training, with 90 per cent keeping up with coursework and 82 per cent reporting satisfactory progress.
But there are clear warning signs. Nearly one in five (19 per cent) said they are struggling to balance work, study and personal life, often because of long hours, financial pressure and the need to take on extra work to make ends meet. The findings suggest this is not simply a short-term cost issue. They point to a system that is already under strain and becoming harder to sustain, especially for regional apprentices, vulnerable cohorts and employers operating on thin margins.
There is an urgent need for increased practical, targeted support that helps apprentices stay connected to work and training, while giving employers more capacity to keep them on.
Priorities for reform include:
- Targeted travel support and cost-of-living support, including fuel cards or similar relief for apprentices and trainees who must drive to work, training or their RTO/TAFE - particularly given many report they simply cannot afford to attend training due to fuel costs
- Stronger place-based support for regional apprentices, including better recognition of long travel distances, limited public transport options and higher cost burdens, which are directly impacting both participation and completion rates
- Expanded access to existing assistance measures, such as vehicle registration support and other cost-relief settings, for a broader range of apprentices and trainees
- More flexible training delivery from TAFE and RTO providers, including greater variation in start and finish times and delivery modes, to better accommodate apprentices balancing long travel, work commitments and cost pressures
- Expanded Free TAFE access for apprentices, particularly those who gave been displaced from host employers, allowing them to continue training without interruption
- Greater flexibility for apprentices to remain engaged in training during periods of downtime or displacement, so they do not lose momentum while awaiting redeployment
- Stronger support for Group Training Organisations to rotate, retain and protect apprentices when host employers can no longer keep them on
- Faster and more consistent TAFE onboarding, course access and progression support
- Expanded wellbeing and mental health support tailored to apprentices and trainees
- More targeted responses for high-cost trades, vulnerable cohorts and sectors facing the greatest workforce risk
ASA will continue working closely with apprentices, employers and government to ensure real-time insights inform practical, evidence-based policy responses.
Apprentices and trainees are encouraged to continue engaging with ASA, with ongoing feedback critical to shaping targeted solution that improve both commencement and completion rates.
To be attributed to Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive, Sally Curtain:
“Apprentices are telling us they still want to work, learn and build a future, but for many of them it is getting harder and harder to hold everything together.
“What these results show is not a lack of commitment. It is a system under strain. When a jump in fuel costs can put an apprenticeship at risk, especially in regional areas, that tells you the system was already fragile.
“This is about much more than one bill going up. It is the cumulative pressure of fuel, tools, rent, groceries, transport and training costs all landing at once, often on very modest wages.
“We are also hearing that some employers are quietly stepping in to help apprentices stay on the job, whether that is with fuel, cash support or other informal arrangements. That support matters, but it should not be invisible, and it should not be relied on as the system’s fallback plan.
“What is needed now is practical, targeted support that keeps apprentices connected to both work and training. That includes looking seriously at measures such as fuel relief, regional support, better use of GTO’s and making sure apprentices who are displaces can keep progressing rather falling out of the system altogether.
“We should also be looking closely at the settings we already have and asking whether they are reaching the right people. In some cases, the answer may be expanding existing support, delivering assistance earlier or removing barriers that stop apprentices from accessing help that would make a real difference.
“This is also the moment to recognise that a one-size-fits-all policy won’t work. The pressures facing a first-year apprentice in regional Victoria are very different to someone training in metropolitan Melbourne and our response needs to reflect that.
“The positive story in all of this is that apprentices are still showing up. They are still engaged. They are still trying to make it work. The job now is to make sure the system works hard enough for them in return.
“If we are serious about skills, productivity and workforce participation, then we have to be serious about keeping apprentices in the pipeline. That means acting early, practically and in a way that reflects what apprentices and employers are telling us on the ground.”
Contact details:
Mikkayla Mossop - 0412464897