Report presented to Canadian Apprenticeship Forum
The apprenticeship system in Canada needs improving — and soon — if the looming shortage of skilled trades is to be met with Canadian-made solutions. At least that is the conclusion of many of the 500 participants representing both labour and management at the June 2008 Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) conference held in Victoria, British Columbia.
The results of the 2007 National Apprenticeship Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeships were presented at the conference and according to one participant, quoted in the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, provided a “very rich basis of data.” From January to May 2007, 67,000 surveys were distributed, and nearly half the recipients responded. The results showed little has changed over the years with regard to gender balance. About 90 per cent of the 30,000 respondents were male.
In addition, only five per cent were aboriginal and just seven per cent were visible minorities. About five per cent were landed immigrants. These under-represented groups face multiple barriers when it comes to training.
Terry Weymouth, a skilled tradeswoman with the Canadian Auto Workers, says the number of women in the skilled trades should increase. According to the survey, family issues, like having reliable childcare, limited their ability to continue to participate in training.
Many respondents had difficulty completing an apprenticeship program. According to 35 per cent of the respondents, insufficient income or funding delays hampered their efforts; a quarter of the respondents said lack of work was a barrier and nearly as many said the cost of tools, tuition and books made pursuing an apprenticeship difficult.
Jim Sinclair, president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour, says the costs of training are far out-weighed by the benefits and noted that Canada lags far behind other countries in per-capita spending on training. He objected strenuously to the B.C. government’s decision in 2003 to replace the Industry Training and Apprenticeship Act with legislation that reduced the number of staff dedicated to moving apprentices through the training system.
Encouraging high school students to join the trades was another of the conference’s themes. This involves making sure they have the necessary literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge of the opportunities that exist in working as a tradesperson. As well, having an employer willing to hire them is essential.
Sinclair has stressed the need for tax credits for training to be available as an incentive to both employers and apprentices. He has also suggested that his province consider the training model used in Quebec where employers must invest one per cent of their payroll in training. Amongst other things, this cost-sharing approach may diminish the fear of some employers that after they have gone to the expense of training their apprentices, they will be poached by other employers.
The CAF notes that the revenue generated for a business by an apprentice increases throughout the apprenticeship. In fact, according to the CAF, the cost-benefit to an employer is an average of $1.38 for every $1.00 invested over the four-year training period; this rises to $1.44 if tax credits are included.
According to a report on the survey in the Journal of Commerce, the benefits for trained apprentices can be significant as well. The median wage for those who finished their apprenticeships was cited as $27 per hour in the survey compared to the $20 per hour earned by those who fell by the wayside.
The results of the 2007 National Apprenticeship Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeships were presented at the conference and according to one participant, quoted in the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, provided a “very rich basis of data.” From January to May 2007, 67,000 surveys were distributed, and nearly half the recipients responded. The results showed little has changed over the years with regard to gender balance. About 90 per cent of the 30,000 respondents were male.
In addition, only five per cent were aboriginal and just seven per cent were visible minorities. About five per cent were landed immigrants. These under-represented groups face multiple barriers when it comes to training.
Terry Weymouth, a skilled tradeswoman with the Canadian Auto Workers, says the number of women in the skilled trades should increase. According to the survey, family issues, like having reliable childcare, limited their ability to continue to participate in training.
Many respondents had difficulty completing an apprenticeship program. According to 35 per cent of the respondents, insufficient income or funding delays hampered their efforts; a quarter of the respondents said lack of work was a barrier and nearly as many said the cost of tools, tuition and books made pursuing an apprenticeship difficult.
Jim Sinclair, president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour, says the costs of training are far out-weighed by the benefits and noted that Canada lags far behind other countries in per-capita spending on training. He objected strenuously to the B.C. government’s decision in 2003 to replace the Industry Training and Apprenticeship Act with legislation that reduced the number of staff dedicated to moving apprentices through the training system.
Encouraging high school students to join the trades was another of the conference’s themes. This involves making sure they have the necessary literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge of the opportunities that exist in working as a tradesperson. As well, having an employer willing to hire them is essential.
Sinclair has stressed the need for tax credits for training to be available as an incentive to both employers and apprentices. He has also suggested that his province consider the training model used in Quebec where employers must invest one per cent of their payroll in training. Amongst other things, this cost-sharing approach may diminish the fear of some employers that after they have gone to the expense of training their apprentices, they will be poached by other employers.
The CAF notes that the revenue generated for a business by an apprentice increases throughout the apprenticeship. In fact, according to the CAF, the cost-benefit to an employer is an average of $1.38 for every $1.00 invested over the four-year training period; this rises to $1.44 if tax credits are included.
According to a report on the survey in the Journal of Commerce, the benefits for trained apprentices can be significant as well. The median wage for those who finished their apprenticeships was cited as $27 per hour in the survey compared to the $20 per hour earned by those who fell by the wayside.
