The Report of the ANTA Board on the Implementation of New Apprenticeships (including User Choice). The development of "New Apprenticeships" reflects the need to strengthen employment-based training in Australia. The strengths and tradition of Australia's existing system must be built upon; inflexibilities that reduce options and choice must be removed. It is a four-stage process: development of policy principles, establishment of a national policy framework, agreement to implementation arrangements, and implementation at national and state/territory levels. Two issues are crucial in implementation of user choice: separation of roles and apprentices already under contract. Designed to make regulation of national training arrangements simpler and more flexible, the National Training Framework consists of two interconnected key features: new recognition arrangements and training packages. A regulatory framework has three points of regulation: training package endorsement, training provider registration, and signing of the training agreement. Issues related to implementation of New Apprenticeships include definition, funding priorities, and access. Main recommendations for group training propose a move to purchasing outcomes through a per capita payment reflecting the real costs of serving apprentices and trainees. Changes to data collection systems to capture new information would facilitate monitoring of New Apprenticeships. (Half the document contains these appendixes: a report on the implementation of user choice, model training agreement, and report on national principles for group training.) (YLB) |
