There are concerns apprentices will receive less on-the-job training if state ministers adopt a proposal from a high-level national skills committee next month.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary John Short has expressed concerns over a proposal from the Australian Industry Skills Committee to cease the mandatory amount of training an apprentice needed to complete in a workplace.
"When you do training on the job, it gives you a lot more skills than you would just learn at TAFE," he said.
"Not only do you learn about the trade, you learn about safe ways of work.
"Tradespeople are very proud of what they do with apprentices.
"They put a lot of time and effort into training apprentices."
Mr Short said he could not imagine a company putting on a worker without practical experience.
Labor's skills spokeswoman Michelle O'Byrne said there had been a 30-per-cent reduction of student numbers at TasTAFE under the Liberal government.
"There are a number of apprentices that are not getting the training that we're talking about because TAFE doesn't have the skills and qualified staff to do so," she said.
Premier Peter Gutwein said the state budget would include $22 million to boost apprentice and trainee numbers through payroll tax rebates and grants to small businesses.
He said this would support up to 4000 apprentices and trainees throughout the state.
The Australian Industry Skills Committee's proposal will be discussed at a COAG meeting in December.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
