An interim report on its success found 93 per cent of apprentices had continued across the two years. The average completion rate for apprentices in what is a standard four-year training was 62 per cent across the prior five years. Mr Burgess said most apprentices who dropped out traditionally did so in the first two years. More than 1500 electrical apprentices were returned to the earlier model of training in July after the Coalition refused to extend funding for the pilot program. Mr Burgess said the decision smacked of ideology, as the $22 million model had been put in place under the previous federal Labor government. Run by E-Oz Energy Skills Australia, the program had been created for industry leaders Master Electricians Australia, National Electrical and Communications Association and the union. He said the combination of features including a mentor for every apprentice, the web-based readiness assessment test - completed by nearly 10,000 potential apprentices - and more regular competency testing were not replicated in the replacement program. But a spokesman for recently appointed Minister for Vocational Education and Skills Luke Hartsuyker downplayed the claimed loss of mentoring access, saying support would be provided to "targeted" apprentices and employers under the Coalition's new Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, in place since July.

"Over the next three years of the network, up to 88,000 at-risk apprentices, or employers facing difficulties retaining their apprentice, will receive tailored support, such as mentoring," he said. "This is up from the 50,000 apprentices who received mentoring under the previous programme over the same time period." All apprentices would have ongoing engagement with Apprenticeship Network providers, although there was no description of this as mentoring. E-Oz Energy Skills Australia is one of the 11 industry councils which will be wound up by the Coalition. Mr Burgess said he expected six to eight broader service skill organisations to replace the councils. There was no response from the Master Electricians on Friday.

Technology and personal support lacking after return to traditional model "You don't know who to go to if you have a problem now." That's the verdict from Canberra electrical apprentice Allyce Daley-Boorn three months after she moved to what she calls the "old system" of training. For a second-year apprentice, who spends four days a week on a work site, there are obvious benefits to having a mentor - not just your boss - who can answer questions. "With Energise Oz they had a mentor and they'd check up with us, at least once a month they'd come in and see us, and in a trade people don't often seek help if they need it, so it was great they were there," she said.

Ms Daley-Boorn, 23, from Isabella Plains, said on the studying front her colleagues also agreed resources had become less accessible since the change of training model in July. "We all agree on the same things – the online training with Energise Oz made it easy for us, now going to paper-based, it's not more work, just a different style of learning and doesn't suit what we do in schools now," she said. "People are not going to sit down and read a textbook, that's just not how apprentices learn."