This article presents the results of research into how young trainees in the level III apprenticeship system formulate their educational and professional plans, what expectations they have of obtaining socially and professionally recognised qualifications, and in what way enterprises see such training as a strategy for providing human resources with qualifications. The empirical research was carried out in two contexts (vocational training centre and enterprises) by means of two questionnaires, one addressed to the trainees involved and the other to the persons responsible for enterprises hosting on-the-job training. The results obtained show that this type of training represents an opportunity for the Portuguese education system, which faces high levels of failure and persistently high numbers of premature school leavers. The pedagogical value of on-the-job training is underexploited, however, pointing towards a combination of employment and education and towards the promotion of activities more characteristic of Taylorism. (Contains 8 tables, 3 figures and 17 footnotes.)