Education and training of apprentices and engineering technicians in the metal trades in New South Wales 1947-1972: an historical study of sectional influence

An in-depth description and analysis is given of management processes involved in the education and training of metal trades' apprentices and engineering technicians during the period 1947-72 in NSW. The result is an examination of the relative impact of government, unions, employers, technical education authorities, and youth on the processes involved in these two occupational areas.

The thesis identifies the nature of the provision of occupational education by the private sector. It identifies two areas that have created perennial problems for the management of occupational education. The first is government funding, especially state-federal accommodation on funding as well as communications difficulties between the key educational committees responsible for obtaining funding. The second is 'nomenclature' or the diverse standards, practices, and definitions pertaining to various aspects of education and training within NSW and between states.

Interviews and study of documentation revealed that technical education authorities were marginalized in the area of apprenticeship, that the apprenticeship system was inflexible, and that rarely were the young people in training consulted.

An in-depth description and analysis is given of management processes involved in the education and training of metal trades' apprentices and engineering technicians during the period 1947-72 in NSW. The result is an examination of the relative impact of government, unions, employers, technical education authorities, and youth on the processes involved in these two occupational areas.

The thesis identifies the nature of the provision of occupational education by the private sector. It identifies two areas that have created perennial problems for the management of occupational ...  [+] Show more