By Chance or Choice: The Regulation of the Apprenticeship System in Australia, 1900-1930

This paper traces the process whereby the apprenticeship system came to be regulated by industrial tribunals during the period 1900 to 1930. It describes how the regulation emerged, the motives that underpinned it, and the wider political debate about the apprenticeship system at the time. It then goes on to assess the effect of this regulation. This assessment is informed by an underlying theoretical perspective and draws on the contemporary debate and the outcomes that can be observed. While the question of primary interest is the efficiency of the regulatory regime that emerged, broader considerations are invoked. What was set in place in the early part of the 20th century has continued to shape the how the apprenticeship system has developed since then. For that reason, the future development of the apprenticeship system may be a more relevant indicator of outcomes than the contemporary facts.