Our new research shows apprentices who cancel their employment contracts do so because they often feel they are subjected to tough working conditions for little pay (undertaking menial, repetitive tasks and long hours), receiving little guidance about their progress on the job. How can behavioural science help?

Almost half (48%) of apprentices in New South Wales cancel their contracts within the first year, and 77% will cancel within two years. That’s a tremendous personal cost to these students, which also translates to $91 million loss of the state’s economy in cancellations alone, and upwards of $348 million in related revenue.

In partnership with TAFE South Western Sydney, we worked with teachers to send weekly SMS (mobile phone text messages) to employers about what their apprentices were learning at their education institute. Over the semester, employers were encouraged to have conversations with their apprentices about their curriculum and to give them an opportunity to try these skills on the job.

Our trial found that apprentices receiving this additional support were 3.1 percentage points more likely to still be studying by the end of the semester. Plus there were additional benefits for other students. This translates to 147 extra classes that were attended for the 48 groups in the trial. There are currently discussions with TAFE NSW and other stakeholders to roll this simple but cost-effective use of SMS communication to motivate learners across the state. Potentially, this behavioural technique to strengthen the connections between teachers, learners and employers can enhance outcomes for thousands of apprentices and trainees (the latest available data show there are over 80,000 apprentices and trainees currently in training across New South Wales). 

Read our report: www.tinyurl.com/NSWBIU2018

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