Flexible delivery and apprentice training: preferences, problems and challenges

Abstract The flexible delivery of training to develop skill in industry has been given considerable encouragement by both government and industry in Australia and the United Kingdom. The research in this article examines the learning preferences of apprentices and the support that they receive in the workplace. The data show that apprentice learning preferences are not currently well suited to the self-directed and independent learning expected by flexible delivery. Interviews with the apprentices indicate that the support for them in the workplace is also not suited to their learning preferences, or to supporting flexible delivery. Strategies to develop learners, trainers and enterprise contexts that will better support flexible delivery are discussed.