There were 23,335 apprentices and trainees employed through group training organisations (GTOs) across Australia at the end of the March quarter of this year, according to the latest statistics from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

The number of GTO apprentices and trainees was up 8.2% from the December quarter 2024 but down 3.4% over the course of the year.

The total number of apprentices and trainees “in-training” across Australia declined by 7.8% over the year to the March quarter 2025.

GTO commencements totalled 5,115 for the March quarter, the highest quarterly figure since the March quarter of 2023.

GTO completions were 2,045 in the March quarter, up 4% from the same period in 2024.

Cancellations and withdrawals among GTOs totalled 1,730 in the March quarter, down almost 5% from a year earlier.