Other forms of work based learning

There is often a certain level of confusion surrounding the various terms associated with apprenticeships. Consequently, when defining the term “apprenticeship”, it is also helpful to clarify the distinction between apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning (WBL), such as informal apprenticeships, traineeships and internships.

Informal apprenticeships are to be found in the informal economy and provide for the transmission of appropriate skills from an experienced craftsperson to a young person, usually covering all skills of a trade. These do not follow a curriculum, do not lead to qualifications and are regulated by social norms and traditions rather than laws and regulations.

Internships and traineeships provide young people, who have finished their studies or are still studying, with an opportunity to learn in a workplace - usually covering specific aspects of a job or an occupation, but not all skills needed for it – while working in a particular sector of the economy or in a specific occupation. Typically these programs also don’t follow a curriculum or lead to qualifications based on an assessment of skills, but with internships and traineeships in particular, the differences between the two depend significantly on how the stakeholders in a particular country define them.

As stated earlier, the ILO is promoting the concept of Quality Apprenticeships, which are apprenticeships based on six building blocks that emphasize the quality and relevance of apprenticeships to the labour market.

As seen in table 2, apprenticeships are clearly distinct from other forms of work-based learning and provide specific advantages, particularly in terms of working conditions and the quality of learning opportunities. In short, apprenticeships are a form of work-based learning, but not all forms of work-based learning are apprenticeships.

Table 2 Typical differences between apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning

  Apprenticeship Informal apprenticeship Internship Traineeship

Tripartite governance

Yes

No

No

No

Remuneration

Yes

Possibly

Probably

Possibly

Written contract

Yes

No

Possibly

Possibly

Social security coverage

Yes

No

No

No

Legal framework

Yes

No

No

No

Programme of learning 

Yes

No

No

Possibly

On-the-job training

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Off-the-job training

Yes

No

No

Yes

Formal assessment

Yes

No

No

No

Recognized qualification

Yes

No

No

No

Duration

1-4 years

Variable

Up to 12 months

Up to 12 months

Source: ILO, on the basis of Steedman, 2012.

Apprenticeships and traineeships, in particular, are often bracketed together, but they are not the same. As may be seen from a more detailed exercise referring specifically to European countries (table 3), there are considerable differences, particularly in terms of educational levels, content, on-the-job training, length, employment status, compensation, governance and actors.

Table 3 Typical differences between apprenticeships and traineeships in Europe

 

Quality Apprenticeship

Traineeship

Scope

Full qualifying professional or vocational education and training profile

Complementing educational programme or individual CV

Goal

Professional profile/qualification

Documented practical experience

Educational level

Usually EQF* level 3-5

Traineeships can be found as part of programmes on all EQF levels – common forms in (pre) vocational education, in higher education and after graduation (sometimes compulsory)

Content

Acquisition of the full set of knowledge, skills and competences of an occupation

Vocational and/or work/career orientation, acquisition of parts of knowledge, skills and competences of an occupation or a profession

On-the-job learning

Equally important to coursework

Usually complementing coursework or optional extra

Length

Determined, middle- to long-term
Usually up to four years

Varying, short- to middle-term
Usually less than one year

Employment status

Employee status
Contracted/employed apprentice

Student/trainee often based on an agreement with employer or school; sometimes volunteer status or not clearly defined status
Student/trainee often based on an agreement with employer or school

Compensation

Remunerated – amount collectively negotiated or set by law
Quality Apprenticeship allowance,
which takes into account net costs and benefits for the individual and the employer

Varying remuneration, often unpaid
Unregulated financial compensation

Governance

Strongly regulated, often on a tripartite basis

Unregulated or partly regulated

Actors

Often social partners, training providers

Individuals, companies, state, educational institutions

Source: European Commission, 2013b, p.8.
* ESF: European Qualifications Framework (European Commission, 2017)

In Australia, for example, the difference between a traineeship and an apprenticeship is that a traineeship can be either a full-time or part-time employment-based training arrangement, usually for around 12 months (apprenticeships usually last for three to four years), and is generally in a non-trade related area (Australian Department of Education, 2017).

Are these distinctions significant?

As the European Commission has pointed out  – ‘our analysis by country has shown that apprenticeships have consistently yielded positive employment outcomes and not only in countries typically associated with the dual training system like Germany and Austria’. The evidence is less persuasive for traineeships (European Commission, 2013b, pp. 9 and 13).

For apprentices, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’; Quality Apprenticeships provide systematic training and a recognized qualification, offer remuneration and some social security benefits, and enhance opportunities to enter the labour market.

For employers, the answer is also ’yes’; Quality Apprenticeships provide ‘work-ready’ and skilled employees - and thus help to solve recruitment problems.

For governments, the answer is also ‘yes’; Quality Apprenticeships facilitate the transition of young people into the labour market, and thus ease the problem of skills mismatch and youth unemployment.

These benefits will be addressed in greater detail in Chapter 3.

Checklist

You may use the following checklist to evaluate the definition of apprenticeship used in your country, to decide which elements could potentially be strengthened.

Key features

Yes

No

In your country:    
Is apprenticeship defined and regulated by an official document (e.g. laws, ministerial decrees, collective agreements, and/or policy decisions arising from social dialogue)?    
If “yes”, does the definition of apprenticeship include the following:
  • a combination of on-the-job training and off-the-job learning in a TVET institution?
   
  • training to carry out a specific occupation?
   
  • a written contract that details the roles and responsibilities  of the apprentice and the employer?
   
  • a written contract that provides the apprentice with remuneration and standard social protection coverage?
   
  • the opportunity to obtain a recognized qualification on the successful completion of a formal assessment?
   

 
If you have answered “no” to any of these questions, it might be worth examining ways in which the definition of apprenticeship in your country could be clarified and/or strengthened with a view to ensuring that apprenticeships have minimum standards and might be considered as Quality Apprenticeships.