Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of employer-sponsored workforce training on employee productivity in the Australian transport and logistics industry. It challenges the quantitative notion of the ratio of input-output per labour hour as the single most important measure of productivity. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the availability of qualifications through work-based traineeships in Australia assists social inclusion. Design/methodology/approach: Industry case studies, of the finance and cleaning industries, were undertaken as part of a national research project on quality in traineeships. The two…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the debate surrounding quality of training as it has unfolded in Australia and how concerns about high non-completion rates have entered the debate. Design/methodology/approach: This paper bases its discussion of quality in VET training on analysis of qualitative data collected from focus groups and…

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…