Attrition in apprenticeships and traineeships is an ongoing concern for employers and government alike, with completion standing at around 50% on average. One possible explanation for this high attrition rate is that there is a mismatch between the respective expectations of apprentices/trainees and employers. This research uses the concept of the…

Traineeships are apprenticeship-like training arrangements that were initiated in Australia in 1985. They were designed to introduce apprenticeship training to a broader range of industries, occupations and individuals; they are available in occupations outside the traditional trades and crafts. Many companies use them on a large scale, some…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflection on the growth in qualifications available through work, over the 50 years of Education + Training. Design/methodology/approach: The approach adopted is that of providing a viewpoint, reflecting back on the availability of qualifications today compared with the 1950s. Findings: The…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine the ways in which Australian companies can achieve high quality apprenticeship and traineeship systems in a time of labour shortage through close attention to the recruitment and development of apprentices and trainees. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on six qualitative case studies…

In Australia, as in many other countries, initiatives are constantly being developed which aim to assist school students' transition into work. One such initiative, which was introduced towards the end of the 1990s, was the introduction of school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, often referred to by the umbrella term "school-based new…

Case studies of four Australian apprentices and four trainees illustrate the following: their growing appreciation for the value of off-the-job training; preference for face-to-face training; centrality of relationships with off-the-job trainers; the implicit contract of expectations of the parties to the training contract; and dissatisfaction…

This article examines the increased incidence of work-related qualifications for women in areas of work served by the vocational education and training (VET) system in Australia. Until 20 years ago, qualifications were generally available only for areas of work usually undertaken by men, apart from a few specific "women's occupations"…

Follow-up of seven Australian trainees and four apprentices in their first year of full-time work indicated that they chose jobs that provided learning opportunities and expected to learn more from on-the-job training. Employers were generally committed to training, but environmental factors affected its success. Apprentices rated school-based…