This petition is driven by the urgent need to protect apprentices from ongoing systemic failures that are severely disrupting their training, financial stability, and future career prospects. The core motivations are:

•Safeguarding apprentices’ livelihoods and wellbeing: Many apprentices depend entirely on stipends for food, transport, and basic living costs. Prolonged delays and uncertainty around extensions create severe financial stress, anxiety, and the real risk that trainees will be forced to drop out.

•Ensuring training quality and credibility: The college continues to enrol new intakes despite lacking sufficient placement companies, qualified facilitators, equipment, and materials. This compromises the practical skills apprentices are supposed to acquire and risks producing graduates who are inadequately prepared for the workplace.

•Restoring accountability and trust: Recurring Trade Test delays, poor communication, and lack of transparency on QCTO applications have left apprentices in limbo for extended periods. This reflects poor governance and erodes confidence in the institution and the entire apprenticeship system.

•Preventing further harm: Without immediate intervention, the situation will worsen — more apprentices will suffer, public funds may be wasted, and the reputation of the apprenticeship programme will continue to decline.