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Intermediary organizations in apprenticeships are those which act on behalf of, link, or mediate between the main parties - apprentices and employers. An intermediary organization in apprenticeship systems is thus one that undertakes one or more of the following activities: employs apprentices as a third-party employer; trains apprentices as part of a specific arrangement with groups of employers; or undertakes other apprentice support activities on behalf of an employer or a specified group of employers. This discussion paper highlights different ways of classifying intermediary organizations, provides examples of different types of intermediary organisations and examines the different roles they can play to support the effective operation of apprenticeship systems. In particular, the report includes brief case studies of intermediary organisations in Australia, India, England.

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The development of occupational identity is taken for granted in Australian apprenticeships. The sense of 'being' a carpenter, a mechanic or a hairdresser is integral to thinking about a career in a craft or trade, applying for an apprenticeship, undergoing the training period and the eventual practice as a skilled worker. Trainers, employers, trade unions and policymakers share a commitment to the apprenticed trades as distinct and valuable occupations. This chapter looks at the issue of identity in occupations covered by traineeships, which are similar to apprenticeships but have been established for a much shorter time. In an initial and small-scale exploration of this complex area, this chapter reports on data from two industry studies of traineeships in Australia, which were undertaken as part of a larger project on traineeships. The industry studies showed the complex issues surrounding the presence or absence of clear senses of occupational identity in traineeships. This chapter draws some initial conclusions and suggests some policy implications and some directions for further research.

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Despite a number of changes and developments during the last decade of training reform in Australia, the apprenticeship system has remained an important element of entry-level training. This article discusses the definition of apprenticeship and clarifies the range of purposes it serves. The author examines the criticisms levelled at apprenticeship and uses recent research on apprenticeship in the building trade to demonstrate its purposes and to analyse criticisms. The author concludes that apprenticeships have evolved to suit the needs of the various stakeholders and briefly alludes to the implications for training outcomes of new developments in the apprenticeship system such as New Apprenticeships and user choice in training provision. Show less

Little has been published in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) literature on the topic of pre-apprenticeships, which are a loose type of preparatory courses for apprenticeships available in some trades. Nevertheless, pre-apprenticeships have been in existence for several decades. With continuing concern over skill shortages in Australia, the research study on which this paper is based investigated the role of pre-apprenticeship courses in addressing skill shortages in the electrotechnology, automotive and engineering trades, some of the largest 'traditional trades' in Australia, and those with sizeable numbers in pre-apprenticeships. The principal objective of the overall study was to determine whether the use of pre-apprenticeships increased the size and suitability of the supply of entrants to the traditional apprenticeships and whether pre-apprenticeships do or might increase completion rates in apprenticeships. The paper uses findings from the study to develop a typology of pre-apprenticeship courses, proposing two fundamental orientations and discussing whether different orientations towards pre-apprenticeships are compatible with one another.

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This paper examines young workers’ beginning engagement in learning through work, placing it in the context of Australian policy on entry-level training. Eleven young people were followed through their first year of full-time work and the significant adults involved in their working and learning lives were also interviewed. The study demonstrates that the presence of a contract of training (an apprenticeship or traineeship) is a strong predictor of a young worker’s propensity to regard the workplace as a learning environment. However, unsatisfactory interactions with employment or training providers can create disillusionment with policy interventions that are meant to assist. Moreover, the habit of learning through work is not only a function of policy and training frameworks, but is also affected by individuals’ abilities to learn how to learn. The paper concludes by arguing that, for those young people starting work who are not in a contract of training, additional assistance may be required in order for them to continue the habit of lifelong learning in the new environment of work.

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This study examines the nature of young people's learning experiences in the initial months of work. A small sample of 16 to 18 year old apprentices, trainees and 'junior' employees were interviewed about their attitudes to learning at work in their first year, and the areas or 'domains' where learning took place. Lastly, seven 'facilitating factors' are outined - those factors present which make it easier for young workers to learn across the full range of domains. Show less

This article uses the findings from a qualitative study of Australian young people in their first year of full-time work to examine the nature and utility of off-the-job training in apprenticeships and traineeships. The findings confirm the conclusions of earlier studies about the importance of off-the-job training as a supplement for workplace learning. It was found that, while initially not attaching much value to off-the-job training, the young people gained more of an appreciation, during the course of the year, of what off-the-job training had to offer. Other findings about off-the-job training included: the superiority of face-to-face training as opposed to other forms of delivery; the importance of young people’s relationship with their off-the-job trainers; the ‘implicit contract’ of expectations of the parties to the training contract; the different viewpoints of the parties; and the dissatisfaction of those in traineeships with the lack of intellectual challenge in their competency-based curriculum.

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As with any contract of employment, the mutual expectations of the employer and the apprentice/trainee are very important. Apprenticeships and traineeships have greater expectations than other employment contracts of employment because of the training component of the contract. This paper reports on some of the findings of a major NCVER-funded national project examining mutual expectations in apprenticeships and traineeships through the concept of the psychological contract. The paper focuses on the differences between employers and apprentices/trainees, in the expectations each party has of the other and in the extent to which the expectations are perceived to have been met.

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Group training organisations (GTOs) are responsible for the employment of over 10% of apprentices and trainees in Australia, with a greater presence in particular segments such as school-leavers, the traditional trades and school-based apprentices. While their role has been well recognised if imperfectly understood, and there have been a number of government-sponsored reports into their operations, there has been little academic research into their activities. This paper draws upon part of the research carried out in three States by the authors, which formed part of a larger nationwide project during 2006. Drawing upon interviews and focus groups with GTO staff and other stakeholders, the paper examines two roles of GTOs. The first is that of shepherd: the pastoral care role which is so important to the retention of young people in apprenticeships. The second is that of bellwether: a role in which GTOs are early signallers to stakeholders of changes in labour market conditions.

Published abstract.

Available papers from the 10th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference are indexed from TD/TNC 89.401 to TD/TNC 89.447. Show less

This paper looks at apprenticeship learning and training from a new standpoint - the psychological contract. The notion of the psychological contract is commonly used in the human resource management field to understand the nature of employment relationships. It has not previously been applied to apprenticeships in any systematic manner. This paper reports on a research project that applied a pre-existing instrument to apprentices and employers and also included qualitative case studies in nine companies.

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