Struggles of the training wage will pay off
• April 8, 2024
Electrical apprentice James Kemp smiles with safety hat. Photo: Quinn Plunkett
Becoming a tradie has more to offer than most high school graduates think, including job security, say apprenticeships and trades experts.
But there is work to do to change society's view that a university education is "superior", says Tim Wilson, CEO of Apprentice Training New Zealand’s (ATNZ)
“To be honest most of the apprentices in their decision-making are having to choose between full-time education where there is no financial support and are racking up student loans or being paid from day one, hour one.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had a societal issue, and a deeply embedded issue with the high schools of seeing university education as superior,” says Wilson.
A faster route to jobs, along with job security are also benefits, says Ben Stevens, specialist trades director for Skills Group, a non-profit members' organisation.
“The trades are now going through a bit of a revolution driven by technological change – electrical, in particular, is just exploding with new technology.
” We believe these factors will bring tradies greater job security going forward,” he says.
Despite a Stuff study showing apprentices - after completion - earn double what young university graduates earn, while training it is hard to achieve the $1200 weekly which Wisemove NZ says a single person would need to earn to live in Auckland comfortably.
Electrical apprentice James Kemp says this is “nowhere near” what he is earning,
“I am livingly on a pay check to pay check basis. I am struggling to put my finances aside and save for my future.”
However, Wilson says earning money as you learn is a lot better than spending it to learn.
“As a society in NZ we’ve got some work to do, to have stakeholders better understand vocational education as opposed to Uni education,” he says.
LISTEN here: Tim Wilson on how the cost of living impacts apprentices, but this isn't the issue when it comes to choosing an apprenticeship over university education.
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