As of December 31, 2000, an estimated 295,620 Australians were undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship, which represented an increase of 15.1% over the number in training in 1999. The increase in participation rates for apprentices and trainees in training almost doubled from 1.2% on December 31, 1995, to 2.3% on December 31, 2000. The increase in apprentices and trainees from 1995 to 2000 exceeded the growth of Australia's population between the ages of 15 and 24 years over the same period (43.1% versus 1.4%). The participation rate of teenage girls more than doubled between 1995 and 2000 (from 1.7% to 3.8%). Seventy-five percent of apprentices and trainees in training on December 31, 2000 were undertaking Australian Qualifications Framework Level III programs, which represented an increase of 14.2% since 1999. Trades and related workers continued to be the largest occupational group, accounting for 44.6% of those in training as of December 31, 2000. Upon completion of their course, 77.6% of apprentices and 63.6% of trainees were employed with the same employer as during their course. On the 2000 Student Outcomes Survey, apprentices and trainees generally rated the usefulness of their course and their off-the-job training for their job prospects more highly than other respondents did. (Contains 12 tables/figures.) (MN)