AVETRA Conference Papers 2000 1 Learning and Assessment Issues in Apprenticeships and Traineeships Ian Robertson, Maddy Harford Box Hill Institute of TAFE Andrew Strickland, Michele Simons, Roger Harris Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work, University of South Australia 1. INTRODUCTION Evaluating on and off-job approaches to learning and assessment in apprenticeships and traineeships is an ANTA-NREC funded project that is administered by the NCVER. It is one of a suite of eight research projects that will form the basis of a substantial body of knowledge culminating in an NCVER report to be available late in 2000. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the learning and assessment experiences of apprentices and trainees in order to identify areas that pose particular challenges and to make recommendations about approaches to best practice. The specific objectives for the study are to: • Identify what different stakeholders in apprenticeships and traineeships expect apprentices and trainees to learn as part of their contracts of training. • Identify and analyse the different approaches to learning and assessment that can be undertaken by apprentices and trainees as part of their contracts of training. • Evaluate the extent to which these different approaches to learning and assessment contribute to the learning goals and needs of apprentices/trainees. • Evaluate areas where improvements might be made to learning and assessment practices and the strategies and interventions that are required to bring about change. The study involves a range of methods that aim to collect data from a broad range of stakeholders. Data collection involves focus groups, case studies and a national survey. Focus groups of key stakeholder (State Training Board Representatives, ITAB/industry representatives, VET curriculum staff, teachers and trainers) will be held in each state and territory. These will establish key issues relating to expectations about the nature of the learning that should be promoted in apprenticeships and traineeships. They will also examine the impact of these expectations on approaches to learning and assessment. Case studies will be conducted at 20 selected sites that reflect a range of industry areas, modes of delivery and type of employment contract. These will be used to collect data from a range of people including apprentices and trainees, VET teachers and trainers, HR managers/supervisors, group training scheme personnel and host employers. A national survey of all apprentices and trainees enrolled in two specific qualifications will also be conducted. The survey will map different approaches to assessment and learning from the apprentice/trainee perspective, including their views about most effective ways of learning. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW The results of the literature review show that entry level training policies are directed to providing training for people entering the workforce and promoting achievement of qualifications up to and including Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level 4 (Lundberg 1997:3). Apprenticeships and traineeships are a key component of government policies aimed at increasing the quality and quantity of entry-level training and have been the focus of considerable change and debate during the implementation of training reform over the last 10 years. Issues relating to participation rates,