Australian apprentices are being offered scholarships to learn on the job around the world as the global demand for skilled workers intensifies.

A new 4-week exchange program offers Australian 2nd, 3rd and 4th-year apprentices over the age of 18 a chance to broaden their trade knowledge, skills, and experience in Canada, New Zealand, or Switzerland through the Global Apprenticeship Network Australia (GAN) with support from GAN New Zealand, EJTC Canada and GTEXpro.

Trade-trained workers are being snapped up by countries around the world in the global war for talent. The recent World Economic Forum: Future of Jobs Report finds that building and related trades workers are Europe’s most common occupations with labour shortages in 2022. The next most needed professions included metal, machinery, and associated trades. In the United States, businesses in retail and wholesale of consumer goods reported close to 70% of job openings remaining unfilled, with close to 55% of roles unfilled in manufacturing and 45% in leisure and hospitality.

“The international exchange program is a great opportunity for our emerging workforce to develop a universal set of skills needed for the most in-demand occupations worldwide. Having transferable skill sets creates a competitive edge for an instant boost in employability and opportunities to travel and work anywhere in the world. Australian apprentices will have the opportunity to experience how other countries work in the same industry and can bring back valuable first-hand knowledge that will assist their work when they return,” Executive Director of the Global Apprenticeship Network, Australia (GAN) and the Apprenticeship Employment Network, Victoria (AEN), Gary Workman, says.

“Tradies are highly valued worldwide, especially as countries face elevated unemployment and tight labour markets. The problem causing trade shortages goes back to ’90s policies; school students were overwhelmingly pushed to university. There is a generational opportunity for businesses and policymakers to realise the importance of apprenticeships in Australia and worldwide to avoid the revolving door of skills shortages,” Mr Workman says.

The program will cover travel, accommodation, insurance, and training costs to an estimated value of $10,000 per exchange. Itineraries will include attending a local training school focusing on OH&S and basic trade skills, job site tours where they will be assigned to an employer and commence on-site training and job shadowing, and a reflection project for further skill development.  GAN-Australia are also interested to hear from Australian businesses willing to host an international apprentice locally.

For more information on the international exchange program, visit https://gan-australia.org/international-apprentice-exchange-program/