School-based apprentices and trainees have recently been given more prominence as an element of vocational education and training in school, partly as a response to skill shortages in a wide range of areas. The purpose of this paper is to provide data on school-based apprentices and trainees to enable a judgement to be made about how this policy push is unfolding. The number of school-based apprentices and trainees is small but growing rapidly, numbers are concentrated in retail and hospitality training packages. Completion rates are lowest in the trades.
A survey measuring employers' views of the VET system has been conducted biennially since 1995, with the exception of 2003. This document outlines the history of the individual surveys and how they have evolved. It also compares each survey to the previous survey that was conducted and notes the major differences.