The crowded market: agencies dealing with apprenticeships in Australia

In Australia approximately 3.5% of the working population is employed in apprenticeships and their newer counterparts traineeships (both of these are combined under the title of Australian Apprenticeships). While apprenticeships were originally intended for young school-leavers they are now open to people of all ages and to part-time as well as full-time workers. The huge growth in numbers, over 300% since the mid-1990s, has been the result of very conscious planning and financial investment by the Australian government. This paper, using data drawn from a series of research projects, analyses the different agencies that help to promote and manage the apprenticeship system. The paper points out both positive and negative effects of the large numbers of agencies involved