Vocational education and training in the retail industry : organisational experiences of retail traineeships

This article considers the experiences of three national retail organisations and their utilisation of the New Apprenticeship system. As an industry new to formal Vocational Education and Training (VET) and as the largest employer of Australian workers, the retail industry plays a significant role in influencing the skill base of the labour market as a whole and represents an important example of the New Apprenticeship system in practice. Evidence from case study research is presented as a means of examining the relationship between rhetoric and reality and providing insight into the nature of organisational involvement in VET. As a component of a larger research project, the article highlights key issues facing retail corporations involved in VET and links these to the broader VET environment and skill formation in Australia today.