When is National Apprenticeship Week?
National Apprenticeship Week Australia (NAWA) is held each February. In 2027, the observance week runs from 8 to 14 February. It is a national initiative founded by MIGAS Apprentices & Trainees to raise awareness of Australian Apprenticeships as a valued and legitimate career pathway.
What is National Apprenticeship Week Australia?
National Apprenticeship Week Australia is an annual observance week dedicated to promoting Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships across the country. It brings together apprentices, employers, educators, industry bodies and government to celebrate the value of vocational training and highlight the role apprenticeships play in building Australia's skilled workforce.
The week involves events, activities and campaigns run by businesses, schools, RTOs, GTOs and industry organisations across the country. Participation is open to anyone with a connection to or interest in Australian Apprenticeships.
MIGAS Apprentices & Trainees founded National Apprenticeship Week Australia and continues to lead the initiative each year.
Why Does National Apprenticeship Week Exist?
Despite the critical role apprenticeships play in the Australian economy, vocational training pathways have historically been undervalued compared to university education in terms of public perception and policy attention. Many young people and their families are not fully aware of the opportunities that trade apprenticeships and traineeships offer, and persistent myths and misconceptions continue to steer capable candidates away from vocational careers.
National Apprenticeship Week exists to change that. The objectives of the week are to:
- Advance the prominence and positioning of Australian Apprenticeships as an attractive and equal tertiary education pathway alongside university
- Create greater awareness about apprenticeship and traineeship careers by addressing myths, misconceptions and stereotypes
- Keep Australian Apprenticeships on the national agenda to secure continued industry and government support
- Promote the importance and value of diversity, equal access and participation in apprenticeships and traineeships
- Foster creative and critical thinking about how Australian Apprenticeships are structured and delivered now and into the future
- Showcase the employers investing in and benefitting from apprenticeships in their workplace
Why Apprenticeships Deserve Greater Recognition
Australia has a significant and growing shortage of skilled tradespeople, and that shortage has real consequences for the economy, for infrastructure delivery, for the energy transition and for the communities that depend on qualified tradespeople to build, maintain and repair the systems they rely on.
At the same time, Australian Apprenticeships offer some of the most practical, financially accessible and career-ready education pathways available. Apprentices earn while they learn, graduate with no HECS-HELP debt, hold nationally recognised qualifications and enter the workforce with years of real experience behind them.
The perception gap between what apprenticeships actually offer and how they are viewed by the broader community is one of the key problems National Apprenticeship Week is designed to address. Every employer that celebrates the week, every tradesperson who shares their story and every school that participates contributes to shifting that perception.
How to Get Involved
National Apprenticeship Week Australia is a community-wide initiative and participation is encouraged from anyone who values vocational training and the trades.
Whether you are an employer who wants to showcase the apprentices in your workforce, a school looking to promote trade pathways to students, an RTO wanting to highlight your programs or an individual who wants to share your apprenticeship story, there are ways to get involved.
For information on events, resources and how to participate in National Apprenticeship Week Australia, visit nationalapprenticeshipweek.com.au.
About MIGAS and National Apprenticeship Week
MIGAS Apprentices & Trainees founded National Apprenticeship Week Australia as part of our broader commitment to advancing the profile and accessibility of Australian Apprenticeships. As a Group Training Organisation with more than 35 years of experience employing and supporting apprentices and trainees, we have a direct stake in ensuring that vocational pathways are understood, valued and accessible to people of all backgrounds.
National Apprenticeship Week is one of the ways we contribute to that goal beyond our day-to-day work placing and supporting apprentices.
To find out more about MIGAS and the apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities we offer, visit our Jobs Board or get in touch with our team.