A new national report finds apprentices beyond their first year rate their training, supervision and mentoring lower, report more sadness, anxiety or worry, and are more likely to have thought about walking away.
Most builders put real effort into an apprentice’s first year. The induction, the close supervision, the patience with early mistakes.
New national data suggests that effort tends to ease off once the apprentice finds their feet. When it does, the numbers slide.
The Australian Apprentice Wellbeing Report 2026, released by Apprenticeship Support Australia this month, compares first year apprentices with those further into their training. On every measure of workplace support it reports, the later group sits lower.
What did the Apprentice Wellbeing Report find?
The report is a supplementary analysis of the National First Year Experience Survey, which drew 12,376 responses from current and former apprentices and trainees across all industries in late 2025. We covered the main survey’s findings on small employers when it was released in August.
Half of all respondents reported sadness, anxiety or worry that significantly affected how they study, live or work. Those apprentices were 65 per cent more likely to have considered leaving than otherwise similar apprentices.
That made wellbeing the strongest driver of retention risk in the analysis, ahead of the work itself, the job being different to what they expected, and not liking the people they worked with. The report describes this as an association, not proof of cause and effect.
How much does support fall after the first year?
Eighty one per cent of first year apprentices rated their workplace training as adequate. For those further along, it was 72 per cent.
The same pattern held for supervision rated good or better (81 per cent against 74), mentoring (92 against 87) and feeling cared for and supported (86 against 80).
Mental health moved the other way. Forty four per cent of first year apprentices reported sadness, anxiety or worry, compared with 53 per cent of those further along. The share who had considered leaving rose from 21 per cent to 32 per cent.
The comparison is a snapshot of two groups, not the same apprentices tracked over time. But the direction is consistent on every support measure.
In the report’s framing, a more capable apprentice needs a different kind of support, not less of it.
Why is year two a pressure point for builders?
On a residential site, a second year apprentice is often one of the most useful people on the job for what they cost. They know the tools and the routine, and they can be left to get on with it.
That is also when the structured attention tends to thin out.
A more capable apprentice needs a different kind of support, not less of it.
National completion data points to the same window. NCVER figures show almost one fifth of trade apprenticeships end without completion inside the first 12 months. For trade apprentices who started in 2019 and did not finish, the average time to leaving was around 1.6 years. A large share of the loss happens after the first year is over.
Construction sits in the middle of the trades. The six year completion rate for construction trades workers who commenced in 2019 was 59.4 per cent, behind electrotechnology trades at 68.3 per cent. With the construction skills pipeline already stretched, every apprentice who leaves in year two is two years of training that does not come back.
Do struggling apprentices experience the same workplace differently?
The report compared apprentices who reported sadness, anxiety or worry with those who did not. The biggest gaps were in clarity and training.
Sixty four per cent of the first group knew what was expected of them during their first year, against 82 per cent of the second. Sixty eight per cent rated their training good or better, against 86 per cent.
The report notes this does not mean the workplace caused the problem. It does show that the apprentices who are struggling are also the ones reporting less structure around them.
Asked what would help, 77 per cent of that group wanted greater mental health and wellbeing support. Sixty six per cent wanted employers to have better coaching and mentoring skills, and 56 per cent wanted more regular check ins or progress reviews. Easier working days came next, at 54 per cent.
The top requests are about how apprentices are managed, not how hard the work is.
Does construction fare better than other industries?
On the headline measures, yes. Building and construction apprentices reported sadness, anxiety or worry at 45 per cent, five points below the all industry figure of 50 per cent. The sector’s overall wellbeing score of 116.3 was fourth highest of 20 industries.
The report warns against generalising from industry results. And 45 per cent is still close to half.
Pressure is not spread evenly. Seventy per cent of apprentices living with disability reported these experiences, along with 58 per cent of women in trades and 55 per cent of First Nations apprentices. Among apprentices extremely affected by the cost of living, the figure was 69 per cent, against 31 per cent for those not affected at all.
Wellbeing is not the same as wellness
Wellbeing is about feeling good, functioning well and adapting effectively. At work, it is shaped by the whole experience of the job: the work itself, the people and the support from the employer. Wellness programs, such as fitness or nutrition initiatives, can contribute to wellbeing but are not wellbeing initiatives on their own. Apprenticeship Support Australia draws this distinction in its 2026 Australian Apprentice Wellbeing Report.
What does apprentice support look like in a small building business?
The report includes a case study of Red Cedar Constructions, a builder with 18 employees and no formal wellbeing program. Each project is typically staffed with a site supervisor, a carpenter and an apprentice, so the apprentice is always working beside experienced hands.
Director Trent Clark talks about enjoying the work from sign up, joins the crews on site some Saturdays, and relies on regular conversation to spot when someone is struggling. When one apprentice found the move from school to work hard, Clark offered him two weeks to consider whether the trade was right for him. He came back after six days.
The report puts Red Cedar’s apprentice completion rate at around 80 per cent. That is a business’s own figure rather than one measured the same way as national data, but it sits well above the national trade picture.
What does the report ask of employers?
The report does not ask employers to become mental health professionals. Its closing recommendations centre on clear expectations at recruitment and induction, coaching skills for whoever supervises apprentices, ongoing conversations about progress, and support that continues as apprentices progress.
The foundations are already there in most workplaces. Ninety two per cent of apprentices said they felt comfortable raising a concern, and the same share described good communication with their supervisor.
For a small builder, apprentice support sits inside the ordinary work of running a building business. The report’s evidence suggests it carries as much weight in year three as in week one.
THE GOOD BUILDER TAKE
Most builders already know how to bring on a first year apprentice. The harder habit is keeping the conversations going once that apprentice is productive and looks settled. A second or third year apprentice who walks away takes years of training time with them. Seen that way, a regular conversation about progress is not a welfare exercise. It protects an investment already made.
The first year gets the attention because that is where the risk is most visible. This report suggests the quieter risk sits further in, with an apprentice who seems fine and is carrying more than anyone has asked about.
If you or someone on your crew needs support, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14, and the MATES in Construction helpline is available 24/7 on 1300 642 111.
Frequently asked questions
It is a supplementary analysis of the National First Year Experience Survey, published by Apprenticeship Support Australia in October 2026. The survey drew 12,376 completed responses from current and former apprentices and trainees across all industries, collected online in late 2025. Half of respondents were in New South Wales, with smaller samples from other states.
Apprentices who reported sadness, anxiety or worry that significantly affected how they study, live or work were 65 per cent more likely to have considered leaving than otherwise similar apprentices. It was the strongest driver of retention risk identified, although the report describes it as an association rather than cause and effect.
According to the report, apprentices further into their training rated training, supervision, mentoring and feeling cared for lower than first year apprentices. They also reported more sadness, anxiety or worry (53 per cent against 44) and were more likely to have considered leaving (32 per cent against 21).
Less likely than average. Forty five per cent of building and construction apprentices reported sadness, anxiety or worry, against 50 per cent across all industries. Building and construction had the fourth highest overall wellbeing score of 20 industries, at 116.3.
NCVER data shows almost one fifth of trade apprenticeships end without completion in the first 12 months. For trade apprentices who commenced in 2019 and did not complete, the average time to leaving was around 1.6 years.
Related articles
- Australia’s Largest Survey of First Year Apprentices Finds Small Employers Train Best but Carry the Highest Retention Risk
- From Gutters to Growth: Why Apprenticeships Still Matter
Last updated: October 2026. Figures from Apprenticeship Support Australia’s Australian Apprentice Wellbeing Report 2026 and NCVER’s Apprentice and trainee completion rates 2025.
General Information Only: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal, financial, workplace relations or mental health advice. It does not take into account your particular circumstances. Before acting on any information in this article, consider seeking advice from an appropriately qualified professional.
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