Chapter 2 - Volume I: Guide for Policy Makers

What is an ILO Quality Apprenticeship?

1.1 An ILO definition

The ILO first defined apprenticeship in the Apprenticeship Recommendation, 1939 (No. 60), which was then superseded in 1962 by the detailed and wide-ranging Vocational Training Recommendation (No. 117). The 1962 Recommendation emphasizes the importance of the link to the labour market and stresses that apprenticeships should be systematic and long-term, correspond to a specific occupation and to established standards, have a substantial work-based component, and be based on a written contract (box 1).

Box 1 Definition of apprenticeship - Vocational Training Recommendation, 1962 (No. 117).

Within the 1962 Vocational Training Recommendation, there is a specific set of Paragraphs on apprenticeship training (Paragraphs 47-54) that spell out a series of requirements for apprenticeship training. It lists the conditions necessary for occupations to be recognized as ‘apprenticeable,’ and for the establishment of an appropriate regulatory framework for apprenticeships. It makes detailed proposals as to the content of apprentices’ contracts and the accreditation and supervision of enterprises wanting to take on apprentices. It notes the need to take particular account of entry requirements; duration; the relationship between on–the-job and off-the-job training; assessment; qualifications; remuneration; accident insurance; and paid holidays.

All in all, Recommendation No. 1622 provides a valuable and precise starting point for defining apprenticeships. Over the years, since its adoption, the ILO has been involved in numerous initiatives to support apprenticeship training, and it has promoted the concept of a Quality Apprenticeship system to emphasize the quality and relevance of training to the labour market. Such a system has the following key features:

Quality Apprenticeships are a unique form of technical vocational education and training, combining on-the-job training and off-the-job learning, which enable learners from all walks of life to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies required to carry out a specific occupation. They are regulated and financed by laws and collective agreements and policy decisions arising from social dialogue, and require a written contract that details the respective roles and responsibilities of the apprentice and the employer; they also provide the apprentice with remuneration and standard social protection coverage. Following a clearly defined and structured period of training and the successful completion of a formal assessment, apprentices obtain a recognized qualification.

While there are many different ways in which young men and women may be offered a combination of on-the-job and off-the-job training, the ILO approach to successful Quality Apprenticeship systems is based on six key building blocks:

• meaningful social dialogue
• a robust regulatory framework
• clear roles and responsibilities
• equitable funding arrangements
• strong labour market relevance
• inclusiveness

These six building blocks will be further developed in Chapters 4-10.

1.2 National definitions

There is no single, standardized definition of apprenticeship training used across countries, but varied approaches that have been developed over the years to correspond to national needs (box 2).

The Brazilian definition highlights the link between theory and practice and progression through a structured programme, as well as the importance of an apprenticeship contract. In Germany, the 2005 Vocational Training Act puts the emphasis on systematic training linked to a specific occupation. The Fijian definition highlights the contractual link between the apprentice and the employer, and the acquisition of the skills required to carry out a particular type of employment. In South Africa, the emphasis is on the combination of on-the-job and off-the-job training, assessment and the requirements to practise in a particular occupation. In the United States, the emphasis is also on the balance between on-the-job and off-the-job training, as well as on the ways in which apprenticeship programmes are organized.

Box 2 Some examples of national definitions of apprenticeships

Brazil

An apprenticeship is a process for the methodical technical and vocational training of adolescents and young people, developed through theoretical and practical activities organized in tasks of progressive complexity. These activities are implemented through an apprenticeship contract and based on programs organized and developed under the guidance and responsibility of qualified entities (Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment, 2013).

Germany

An apprenticeship should, ‘through a systematic training programme, impart the professional skills, knowledge and qualifications (vocational competence) which are necessary to engage in a form of skilled occupational activity in a changing working world’ (Federal Ministry of Education and Research, 2005).

Fiji

An apprentice is ‘a person, including a person under training, who is bound by a contract to serve an employer for such period as the (Fiji National Training) Council shall determine ….. with a view to acquiring knowledge, including theory and practice in an employment in which the employer is reciprocally bound to instruct that person’ (Fiji National Training Act, 1973).

South Africa

“Modern apprenticeships are a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction, in which apprentices learn the practical and theoretical aspects of the designated trade. Apprentices need to do a trade test at the end of their training at the Institute for the Development of Learnerships and Learnership Assessment (INDLELA), after which they will be certified, if successful and be recognised as artisans within the relevant industries in terms of the applicable Bargaining Council agreement” (Department of Labour, Republic of South Africa).

United States

“Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation. Apprenticeship programs can be sponsored by individual employers, joint employer and labor groups, and/or employer associations” (United States Department of Labor, 2017a).

Table 1 provides a comparison of some elements of the definition of apprenticeship in Latin American countries. As may be observed from the table, most of the countries combine on-the-job training and off-the-job training, and nearly half of them have a job contract; however, few of them undertake an assessment and certification of competencies/ qualifications, which are widely recognized by employers in their recruitment processes (Fazio et al., 2016).

Table 1 Comparison of some elements of the definition of apprenticeship in Latin American countries

The key to understanding a Quality Apprenticeship system is to examine the way in which the definition of apprenticeship is interpreted and then implemented in a given country, either via additional legal texts and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, or on the basis of experience and practice. It is this perspective that will be further developed in greater detail throughout this Guide.

1.3 Apprenticeships and 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

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

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.

1.4 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.

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.