Apprenticeships revisited

At a time of acute skills shortages in the trades and in some professions in various parts of the country, two NCVER studies into apprenticeships throw light on ways they might be adapted.

The apprenticeship model is a time-honoured way to develop the skills it needs. Victor Callan, in his study, Accelerated apprenticeships: Apprentice, employer and teaching staff perceptions, asks whether it is possible to accelerate apprenticeships while retaining the integrity of the model. The rationale is that apprentices should be certified as soon as they can competently do the work expected of a qualified tradesperson, which may occur well inside four years, the typical duration of an apprenticeship.

Callan asked apprentices, employers, and teaching staff involved in a pilot of accelerated apprenticeships in the automotive trades in Queensland what they thought, and all reported benefits and costs.

Apprentices liked the idea of moving onto full wages more quickly, but the downside was more pressure, which some found difficult to handle. Employers valued the increased pool of qualified tradespeople, but felt that acceleration cost them more money. Teaching staff felt the concept improved their ability to engage with industry, but also complained about higher costs.

The nesting of a lower-level qualification within the automobile apprenticeship so that those exiting early could still have their skills accredited, was a generally appreciated feature. A certificate II, rather than the traditional certificate III, is quite suitable for those undertaking routine servicing.

The study, Effective models of employment-based training, by Sarojni Choy and colleagues looks at ways in which the traditional model could be extended.

In their study of employment-based training in process manufacturing and child care, Choy and colleagues found that many employers set more store in university degrees or demonstrable skills than in higher-level vocational qualifications. However, they note a strong acceptance of employment-based training.

They identify the circumstances under which variants to traditional apprenticeships might be made to work, including resolving inconsistencies in regulation across jurisdictions and the capacity of training providers to respond to fast-changing industry practices. A further issue is the desire of people undertaking higher-level qualifications to have more control over their training program.

Such is the endurance of apprenticeships that over the years there have been many attempts to emulate their attributes or modify them to address skills development. These two new studies offer useful insights into industry-specific workable solutions.

Accelerated apprenticeships: Apprentice, employer and teaching staff perceptions is available at
www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1991.html

Effective models of employment-based training is available at
www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1990.html