Date Time Queensland apprentice numbers reach new heights Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honourable Di Farmer The Palaszczuk Government’s investment and skills and training is paying off, with a new report showing more than 16,000 Queenslanders started an apprentice or traineeship in the December 2020 quarter – up 11 per cent from 2019. The latest figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), also show that more than 10% of workers employed within trade occupations in Queensland were an apprentice or trainee. Minister for Training and Skills Development and Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer said the Palaszczuk Government had put investing in skills at the heart of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.