The central lesson from a comprehensive review of user feedback is that the Apprentice Connect Australia (ACA) service should be made more visible, more responsive and more focused on the parts of the apprenticeship relationship that drive success. The current system contains national reach, deep technical knowledge and a provider network capable of guiding apprentices and employers through a complex federated system. Those capabilities become more valuable, not less, as the economic and policy environment becomes more challenging
ACA should enter Contract 9 heeding the feedback from apprentices, trainees and employers and be a more relational, more intelligent and less administratively intensive national service. The central proposition is that in the next contract apprentices will know who supports them, employers should find the system easier and more worthwhile to participate in, problems should be visible earlier, training should be better aligned with the changing nature of work, administration should consume less human effort, and more apprentices should complete. The current ACA framework contains many of the right objectives.
The current support services are intended to improve retention, completion and satisfaction through integrated, targeted support from before commencement to completion, and to minimise administrative burden on apprentices and employers. The service suite combines assessment, engagement and technical support, and mentoring and personal support.
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