Increasing opportunities for apprenticeships and traineeships in Melbourne’s western region

have taken the initiative of encouraging, particularly young people, to look at career paths in a variety of traditional and non-traditional industries. In some regions of Australia, such as the west of Melbourne, this initiative appears to have failed. The research project identified factors that inhibited the expansion of apprenticeships and traineeships in Melbourne’s west. These factors include career counselling, the importance of VET in Schools, community and media perceptions, quality and source of information and organisational issues. The methodology involved conducting focus groups with six schools in three Local Government Areas, surveying 400 local businesses and interviewing key stakeholders such as Group Training Companies, Industry Training Boards, employers and school careers teachers. The outcomes have provided an invaluable insight into the perceptions held by young people, businesses and educational authorities about th