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Describes and compares the objectives and content of the graduate training programme conducted in Japan by a Japanese retailer and by its Hong Kong subsidiary. The case company uses different approaches to train the Japanese graduate trainees in Japan and the local graduate trainees in the Hong Kong subsidiary. Like the Japanese female graduate trainees, the local graduate trainees are not expected to work for the company on a long‐term basis; are regarded as peripheral employees; and are not expected to be the primary contributory element for organizational learning within the company. Notes various negative factors related to the training provided at the Hong Kong subsidiary, citing factors such as the fact that it is aimed at meeting short‐term needs rather than long‐term development.

This paper aims to explore the extent to which participation in a previous graduate recruitment programme affects graduates’ organisational affective commitment and their desire to remain.

With the support of a Portuguese organisation that annually operates a trainee programme to attract the best graduates from top universities, a questionnaire with human resource management (HRM) practices, affective commitment and turnover intention scales was used, with data collected from 168 recent recruited graduates representing two groups: graduates with previous participation in the trainee programme and graduates non-trainees.

Despite the company’s expectation that graduate trainees would present higher levels of affective commitment and lower intentions to voluntarily leave than employees recruited by traditional procedures, the t-test results show no significant differences between groups. However, correlations for both groups show a significant positive association between perceived HRM practices and affective commitment and a negative relation with turnover intention. These results suggest that placing a high value on HR practices leads to reinforcement of employment relations and a decrease in the desire to voluntarily leave.

The findings suggest the need for organisations to rethink their recruitment strategies and raise an interesting question with regard to organisational strategy: is it useful or fair to create two groups of graduates within the same organisation, because we may be promoting the development of two micro-cultures?

The study with this specific group is needed because of an increased implementation of trainee programmes all over Europe as a means of attracting graduates. The literature is scarce, focusing only on trainees’ attitudes compared to those recruited through traditional procedures.

Aims to bring a new angle to, in fact to complete the triangle of, industrial training studies, which have focused on training institutions and the firms. The third angle, the trainees, has often been neglected, appearing only as figures, enrolment, drop‐outs, graduates, etc. A comprehensive policy on industrial training would be incomplete without appraising experience of trainees and taking their views seriously. Examines research based on three surveys among potential, current and past trainees. The experience and views of the trainees should be taken as a major parameter in technical and vocational education (TVET) strategy, planning and programme implementation. Finds that trainees have expressed clear views on the relevance of the TVET programmes they have attended/are attending, and on the quality of public and private training. Findings of the surveys have some relevance to labour market policy, specifically on mobility, labour turnover, labour market information and employment of women.

This study explored attrition from a novice health researcher training program. The aim of this paper was to identify factors contributing to attrition from the RRCBP that if understood could decrease attrition from this standalone researcher training program.

Using a capacity building framework, this case-control study compared demographic characteristics and features of 30 withdrawn research trainees to 68 graduated trainees from the Rural Research Capacity Building Program, run by the Health Education and Training Institute of New South Wales, Australia between 2006 and 2010. Data were analysed using Exact Logistic Regression, Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests.

An attrition rate of 29 per cent was associated with a range of individual, organisational and supra-organisational factors. Withdrawals occurred prior to ethics submission (n=13, 43 per cent), after unsuccessful ethics submission (n=8, 27 per cent), or after receiving ethics approval (n=9, 30 per cent). Clinicians were less likely to withdraw than non-clinical staff (p=0.03). Profession, project ownership, funding sources and type of research were not significant factors in attrition, while the effect of location was mixed indicating a potential impact of peer support networks in areas with high numbers of trainees.

This research demonstrates attrition from a research training program is associated with trainees receiving appropriate and timely support. In the formative stages researchers require support, particularly those working in professional or geographical isolation.

This study is the first of its kind in examining in detail reasons for withdrawal from a standalone research training program and will allow coordinators of similar programs to target support to vulnerable research trainees at critical time points.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate effectiveness of the graduate development programme that was aimed at the recruitment and professional development of black engineering graduates through the workplace learning method.

The paper adopted qualitative research strategy using in-depth interviews with semi-structured interview guide that was developed after an extensive review of related literature. Data were analysed using thematic analysis technique.

Result of the paper indicates that the strategy provides an effective mechanism for the inclusion and professional development of black engineering graduates. Coaching and mentoring relationships were found to be an effective way for knowledge and skills transfers.

Although this study presented valuable insights into the complexity of the graduate development programme in South Africa, the authors consider it appropriate to draw some limitations to study for in order to provide some guides on the conduct of a similar study by future researchers. It is important to state that qualitative studies inherently lack external validity that limits its generalisability to a wider context. Further, a non-probability sampling method was used in this study thus posing a threat to the scientific representativeness of the participants. At last, but very important is the emotion and tension that is usually associated with social research and discussion regarding the legacies of apartheid in South Africa. This research was not insulated from such sensitivity and social influence. To this extent, while practical efforts were made to mitigate this factor during the interviews, there is no guarantee that the respondents were completely honest, and not influenced by extraneous nuances and considerations in their responses to the questions. In view of the methodological and social limitations to this study, future researchers could consider, for example, the use of a mixed methods wherein a quantitative research component is conducted on trainees of the programme in order to validate or disprove the answers provided by the training managers which were purely from operator/organisational, rather than training participants’ perspective. The mixed method approach could also enhance the external validity or generalisability of the research outcome to a wider context. At last, the administration of structured questionnaire through the use of a web-based survey could potentially eliminate emotions, social tension and response bias since both the researcher and respondents do not engage in a face-to-face contact and personal interaction. This also effectively protects personal identity of both the researcher and respondent.

Not much research has been conducted in the direction of the graduate development programme as an effective strategy for the career advancement, inclusion and affirmation of black engineers within the engineering landscape of South Africa. Corporate and professional skills development managers could integrate the outcome of this paper into a policy framework that shapes corporate social investment, diversity and inclusion management at the workplaces.

Looks at the selection criteria for vocational courses from the viewpoint of graduate employers. Asks the question: to what extent can the selection criteria for vocational degree courses reflect those qualities which are sought by subsequent employers of the graduate trainees? Questions graduate trainee recruiters to find out what was actually happening in practice.

Presents the results of qualitative research conducted in six British companies during 1991‐92; all of which are major employers of science and engineering graduates. Draws on experiences of managers of graduate recruits and presents material taken from interviews by way of illustration of the points made. Discusses the aspirations of graduate recruits to industry and the problems they encounter, working in a different environment; the requirements of training and development programmes; the need to match company and individual needs; and the necessity of nurturing graduates for the first four or five years to avoid “poaching” by other companies. Offers a number of recommendations for the effective management, training and development of graduate entrants, so as to ensure their successful transition from an academic to a work environment, and to retain graduate entrants, as a long‐term investment.

This paper reports a longitudinal study of 58 students who undertook an engineering traineeship concurrent with their final two years of secondary school. The student experience was planned as a partnership arrangement between a manufacturing enterprise, a secondary school, and a post‐secondary technical education institution. Results are discussed in terms of completion of studies, employment and career pathways, employment outcomes, and post‐traineeship employment destinations. Both the quantitative and qualitative data indicate that participants have benefited significantly in each area investigated. The significance of the program in developing propositional, procedural, and dispositional workplace knowledge is also discussed.

Examines the expectations of those graduates recruited by organizations for their “high‐flyer” programmes. Looks at the socialization process that such graduates are exposed to once recruited and evaluates the adjustment and change processes that graduates experience.