The ECA Council has discussed establishing the date on which an apprenticeship ends.
The Joint Industry Board (JIB) is to add clauses into the industry agreement to avoid confusion over issues such as termination of employment or continuation of employment after the attainment of skilled status.

This is important because if an apprenticeship is terminated prematurely there needs to be good grounds for this, usually based on the individual's conduct or capability.

If employment continues beyond the end of the apprenticeship, the complete length of service counts for the purpose of employment legislation.

If an employee is not to be retained after the completion of an apprenticeship, because of lack of work, for example, it is important that the termination of their employment contract coincides exactly with the completion of the apprenticeship.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor