Date Time Mining apprenticeships and traineeships receive significant boost The Australian Government’s announcement that the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program will be extended for 12 months is a significant boost for skills across Australia and great news for Australia’s mining regions. Mining is already supporting jobs and regional economies in their time of need – including the employment of 8,836 apprentices and trainees – and more apprentices are needed to help create the future minerals workforce to meet growing demand for Australia’s world-class commodities. Recent National Centre for Vocational Education Research figures show that while apprenticeships across all industries were down 11 per cent, the mining industry only experienced a 1.41 per cent decrease.