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The government has a goal to create at least three million apprenticeships by 2020, with many of these placements being targeted at vulnerable and disadvantaged groups of young people, writes Derren Hayes

Apprenticeships are a crucial route to work for many disadvantaged young people but recent changes to how they are funded have seen the number of placements fall significantly leading to calls for reform

In his independent report Doug Richard calls on the government calls to improve the quality of apprenticeships and make them more focused on the needs of employers. His recommendations include: Redefining apprenticeships: They should be targeted only at those who are new to a job or role that requires sustained and substantial training. Focusing on the outcome of an apprenticeship - what the apprentice can do when they complete their training - and freeing up the process by which they get there. Trusted, independent assessment is key. Recognised industry standards should form the basis of every apprenticeship. All apprentices should reach a good level in English and maths before they can complete their apprenticeship. Government funding must create the right incentives for apprenticeship training. The purchasing power for investing in apprenticeship training should lie with the employer. Greater diversity and innovation in training - with employers and government safeguarding quality.

Training and education are acknowledged routes into employment, but they also entail risks of contemporaneous financial loss, and economic and social insecurity. This paper explores the specific risk of homelessness among apprentices and trainees, drawing on a survey conducted in South Australia in 2013. Housing has been largely overlooked by studies of the wellbeing of apprentices and trainees, and by explorations of the drivers of attrition rates that continue to plague Australia's training schemes. The data examined here reveal the high proportion of income that trainees spent on their housing; home moves motivated by the desire to reduce rental or mortgage payments; and a small proportion of learners who experienced periods of homelessness. Closer statistical analysis reveals that apprentices and trainees with past experiences of homelessness were disproportionately likely to be pursuing courses in retail and personal services, or in transport. They were also likely to be receiving Youth Allowance or AUSTUDY payments. We recommend better recording of apprentices' and trainees' housing situations and greater use of administrative data to improve our understanding and reduce the incidence of homelessness among this population.

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.

Participation in government-supported apprenticeship programs in the UK is characterized by stereotypical gender imbalances . This chapter draws on secondary data analysis of official statistics on young people?s participation in vocational education and training (VET) and apprenticeship, and evidence from a study of the attitudes of 14- and 15-year-olds in England and Wales to the labor market . The discussion reveals the deep-rooted nature and continuing influence of gendered stereotypes in relation to what men and women can and cannot do in the world of work. This chapter argues that while patterns of take-up in apprenticeship mirror unequal conditions in the labor market and society more widely, initiatives in some European countries indicate that there are steps that can be taken to help young women gain access to occupations that provide better prospects in terms of pay and career progression.