Australia’s national and state/territory governments have reformed the apprenticeship and trainee system by making it more flexible and responsive to employer needs with the aim of ensuring that the highest quality training is provided. The new training arrangements covering apprenticeships and traineeships are collectively known as New Apprenticeships. They were introduced from 1 January 1998.

Although New Apprenticeships cover both apprentice and traineeship training, the vast majority of entry level skills training in the building and construction trades through contracts of training with employers occurs through the traditional apprenticeship pathway, leading to a Certificate III qualification (typically involving a four year apprenticeship contract).

The occupational structure of the building and construction industry is very different from the workforce as a whole. Whereas 13% of the labour force are classified as tradespersons or related workers, over 60% of building and construction workers are classified as such. This highlights the dependency of the industry on the vocational education and training (VET) sector and in particular, its reliance on structured apprenticeship training for its skill supply.