Search results

This article considers some of the major issues and alternatives facing apprenticeship training in Australia. Taking apprenticeships as vocational training for specific trade occupations, issues including the distribution of costs and benefits, apprentice wages, the role of government, the impact of financial subsidies, and other factors affecting apprentice recruitment are discussed. Viewed in the context of the wider, entry-level vocational education and training system, fundamental differences exist between the Australian apprenticeship system and the models of the German-speaking countries, in which apprenticeships offer more general VET and structured pathways to higher learning.