Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an innovative way to train adult apprentices for the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: The paper emphasizes that, in order to address skills shortages for international construction, training methods must be improved. It looks at the example of an adult apprenticeship scheme in Australia from the perspectives of the apprentice, the training provider and the employer. Findings: The paper suggests that trained adult apprentices with previous experience can be more productive and loyal, and that this scheme has implications for the training of apprentices generally. Research limitations/implications: To date, the scheme has enjoyed success in Australia and for the provision of tradespeople in the international construction industry. Originality/value: The paper illustrates how a training partnership has sought to provide necessary and increasingly scarce skills for an international construction organization through an original apprenticeship scheme. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)