This volume on apprenticeships in Australia summarizes 11 research studies. After an "Introduction" (Nigel Smart), the reports are: "Apprenticeship in Australia: A Concise History" (John Ray); "Issues and Directions from the Australian Apprenticeship and Traineeship Literature" (Stephen Saunders); "Determinants of Apprentice Training by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises" (Katrina Ball, Brett Freeland); "Locational Issues in New Apprenticeships" (Tom Dumbrell, Wendy Finnegan, and Rowena de Montfort); "Unlocking the Barriers: A Regional Perspective of Apprenticeships and Traineeships" (John Martino and Sue Holden); "Apprentices' and Trainees' English Language and Literacy Skills in Workplace Learning and Performance: Employer and Employee Opinion" (Shirley O'Neill and Annabelle Gish); "The Value of On-the-Job Traineeships" (Josie Misko, Jan Patterson, and Rosemary Markotic); "Training for Skilled Trades in Australia, 1980-2000: Training Reforms" (Elizabeth Webster, Michael Dockery, Thea Bainger, and Ross Kelly); "On- and Off-Job Approaches to Learning and Assessment in Apprenticeships and Traineeships" (Andrew Strickland, Michele Simons, Roger Harris, Ian Robertson, and Maddy Harford); "Factors That Contribute to Retention and Completion in Apprenticeships and Traineeships" (Roger Harris, Michele Simons, Heather Symoms, and Berwyn Clayton); and "Quality in Context: Reflections on Factors Impacting on the Quality of Apprenticeship and Traineeship Training" (Kaye Schofield). (YLB)