[.:4:.]

From the apprenticeship TAFE perspective (im an electrician), the theory side is theory, the prac is not so much about teaching apprentices how to do things per say, its a lot to do with proving competancy in things that should be taught on site by a tradesman. Ive had fresh 1st years and im not exactly going to say they cannot strip a cable untill tafe shows them how. Ive also had a few apprentices that other tradesmen reckon are crap, yet havent spent any time training them up at all, just get out of the way youre too slow kind of attitude. Its a poor attitude. No one is instantly good at everything. Whenever i get an apprentice i have not worked with i sit them down and explain that their job is not to do my job, its not to make my job any easier, its to learn and make jobs run quicker. Also unless its a major stuff up, i make them try work it out, if they cannot, i tell them whats wrong, but theyre fixing it, not me. That way they learn something and next time they typically get it right. Its the apprentices who spend their time under tradesmen who dont teach who become the under experienced tradesmen. I had a 2nd year ask me not long ago about wiring a new circuit i to a switch board. The board was dead, i got him to proove it for himself then instead of showing him, explained what to do whilst he did it. You can watch somebody all you like, but you learn a lot more a lot faster actually doing it with some guidance. Plus i also ask a lot about why things are done in certain ways. Because so and so said thats how you do it isnt a good enough answer.

Anyhow, when i was at tafe all those years ago it was when tafe teachers were having to get teaching degrees, not just having trades, so a lot of the old hands were not happy about that, so i think that was their exit.