A study explored the role of the workplace trainer in the building of training/learning cultures in workplaces in Australia. Following a literature review, stage 1 data collection involved observations and interviews in 18 enterprises in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia where trainers were facilitating learning with one or two employees/learners. Five key functions and 32 trainer actions were identified and formed the nucleus of stage 2, a telephone interview survey of 350 workplace trainers. Findings indicated penetration and impact of workplace trainer competency standards were low; informal workplace training was very common; there was a high incidence of trainer actions related to encouraging self direction in learning in employees and structuring and shaping processes to accommodate learning; frequency of many trainer actions in the workplace was significantly mediated by context-specific factors; the majority of trainer actions did not directly match competencies in the training packet; and only very few respondents reported that juggling working and assisting others to learn was not an issue. Learning network theory provided a useful framework for rethinking the role of the workplace trainer. Implications relevant to the National Strategy for VET were concerned with quality of training provision, building a training/learning culture, and further research. (Appendixes include 62 references, instruments, and data.) (YLB)