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Survival and Decline of the Apprenticeship System in the Australian and UK Construction Industries

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  • Phillip Toner

Abstract

The preservation of the apprenticeship system in the Australian construction industry contrasts with its decline in Britain over the last three decades. This decline is conventionally ascribed to changes in industrial structure, specifically a decline in the role of the public sector, intensification of subcontracting and growth of self‐employment. Given that the Australian construction industry has undergone similar structural changes to those in the United Kingdom, this difference in outcome requires explanation. This article suggests that the contrasting outcomes are the result of institutional differences in the organization of the training system, employers and labour between the two countries. These institutional differences are, however, diminishing as arrangements for training and industrial relations in Australia are increasingly fashioned in the likeness of the United Kingdom.

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  • Phillip Toner, 2008. "Survival and Decline of the Apprenticeship System in the Australian and UK Construction Industries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(3), pages 431-438, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:46:y:2008:i:3:p:431-438
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8543.2008.00680.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Huasheng Zhu & Kelly Wanjing Chen & Juncheng Dai, 2016. "Beyond Apprenticeship: Knowledge Brokers and Sustainability of Apprentice-Based Clusters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Zhenshan Yang, 2023. "Human capital space: a spatial perspective of the dynamics of people and economic relationships," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Coe, Patrick J., 2011. "Apprenticeship Program Requirements and Apprenticeship Completion Rates in Canada," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2011-2, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 27 Jan 2011.

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