A study examined geographical distribution of Australian apprenticeship commencements (ACs) in the context of various labor force and population statistics by industry, location of jobs by industry, and youth population. Apprenticeship and traineeship statistics between 1995-98 were examined to demonstrate differences in development of the system…

A research study in Australia examined the nature, extent, and methods of workplace learning for school students. Following a literature review that found that the proportion of school students who work part-time is increasing but that there is relatively little research on the learning outcomes of either work experience or work placements,…

The extent of employer-supported education and training in Australia was examined by analyzing data from the Training Expenditure Surveys (TES), which gathered information from firms, and the Surveys of Education and Training Experience (SETE), which gathered information from workers. The TES showed an approximately 10% decline in the hours of…

Following an introduction ("Return on Investment in Training" by Andrew Smith) that provides an overview and a synopsis of research findings, the following five chapters of this book present the results of five research projects funded by the National Research and Evaluation Committee in Australia in 1999-2000. The first four of these…

Apprenticeship came to Australia from England with the establishment of the colony of New South Wales in 1788. By the end of the 19th century, apprenticeship was well recognized throughout all the states, which retained responsibility for its regulation and administration after federation. A common provision in states' apprenticeship legislation…

A study examined key determinants of apprentice and trainee employment in small and medium-sized enterprises that play an increasing role in providing employment-based training in Australia. It used unit record data from four waves of the Australian Bureau of Statistics business growth and performance surveys 1994-95 to 1997-98, which sent…

Australia's construction industry employs nearly 600,000 workers, over 7% of total national employment. The industry is heavily dominated by males (nearly 88%) and full-time workers (86%). Much of the work in this industry involves subcontracting and is cyclical. Construction employers provided much less structured training than the average…

Nearly 590,000 persons are employed in education in Australia, two-thirds of whom are women. One-third of education jobs are part time, and 40% of the work force is over age 45, suggesting that labor shortages may emerge in the next decade. As would be expected, this sector employs more persons with bachelor's and higher degrees than any other…

Australia's finance and insurance industry is among the 5 industry divisions in which females outnumber males. Women's share of industry jobs has risen from 51% to 55% in the last decade. However, there is a pronounced gap in earnings between male and female workers. Employers expressed below-average satisfaction with vocational education and…

In Australia, the health and community services industry is the nation's fourth largest, and employment has grown by 39% since 1987, almost twice as much as the labor force as a whole. The industry is the most female dominated in Australia (77%) and the second-largest source of jobs for women. Thirty-eight percent of jobs in the sector are part…

This report is a summary update of a more extensive report on the participation of women in the Australian public VET (vocational and technical education) sector in 2000. Data were obtained from publicly-funded training providers, including TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions and some schools and universities, registered community…

Australian school students' views regarding their learning from paid and unpaid work in the workplace were examined. The data sources were as follows: (1) a questionnaire administered in 13 schools in New South Wales and South Australia to students in years 10, 11, and 12; (2) school and locality-based case studies; and (3) interviews with…

Emerging and potential Australian industries were surveyed to identify the skills needed by their current and future workers and to determine how Australia's vocational and training (VET) system can best respond to those skill needs. The study investigated industries emerging from the work of Australia's Co-operative Research Centres program. The…

Australia's accommodation, cafes, and restaurants industry represents more than half of the nation's total tourism and hospitality employment. It accounts for roughly 4.5% of all jobs in Australia (400,000 workers). Since 1987, the number of jobs in the sector has risen from about 257,000 to about 372,000. Approximately 57% of employees are…

Australia's agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry represents about 5% of the nation's total employment and growth in the last 10 years has averaged only about 0.3% per year. In 1996, it was estimated that 4.7% of government-funded training was directed toward this industry. A 1997 employer satisfaction survey indicated that 11% of…