Apprenticeships used to be free, paid for by business looking to skill up their workforce.
The grubberment were smarter then, knowing that the way forward was to skill up Tradies.
The kids were smarter too, knowing a trade was a stepping stone to advancement.

Now, businesses want skilled personnel without going to the effort of training them.
The grubberment want to cut funding to everything (except their paychecks) and cut TAFE to the bone.
The kids these days are taught by idiot teachers who have never done an honest days work to not work at a trade.

And the kids, they just want , without working for it.

It's many people who are at fault.