The aim of this synthesis piece is to provide an overview of some aspects of apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia. In particular, the synthesis brings together research and data on what could be considered five enduring issues.

This publication reviews the current trends in how workplace-based delivery of training is distributed, including where entire programs are delivered in this way. Additionally, data from the Student Outcomes Survey was used to model the effect of a student receiving workplace-based delivery on employment and achievement outcomes.

Employment-based training (EBT) is training for paid employees within a work setting, related to their role, and provided or supported by employers. This report explores alternative approaches to employment-based training—cadetships and internships, higher apprenticeships, and on-the-job structured training such as mentoring—and their implications for VET content and delivery.

This report examines the experience of the trades and shift-work segments of the workforce during COVID-19, and outlines a policy agenda that will provide support for these professions so that they remain an attractive career in future.

Apprenticeships and traineeships, in one form or another, are used the world over to train new entrants to the workforce in skilled jobs. The key features of learning by doing, underpinned by formal theory training whilst in paid employment, are widely supported and often expanded into non-traditional industries and jobs. This discussion paper examines the...