With growing recognition of the extent to which work, mental health and wellbeing intersect, it is important to understand the critical role effective apprenticeship support arrangements play in helping Australia's youth make the transition from school to work. This study considers how pastoral care, mentoring and other forms of social support contribute to apprenticeships. In particular, the forms of support provided to young carpentry apprentices by some of Australia's leading construction firms and training organisations were investigated. It finds the best and most effective support...  [+] Show more

With growing recognition of the extent to which work, mental health and wellbeing intersect, it is important to understand the critical role effective apprenticeship support arrangements play in helping Australia's youth make the transition from school to work. This study considers how pastoral care, mentoring and other forms of social support contribute to apprenticeships. In particular, the forms of support provided to young carpentry apprentices by some of Australia's leading construction firms and training organisations were investigated. It finds the best and most effective support for mental health and wellbeing is informal. While these can be the most difficult forms of support to explicitly and formally nurture, the report and good practice guide offer ideas on how informal bases of support can be encouraged to flourish.

Published abstract.