June 18, 2008

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

Survey proves apprenticeship training still dominated by men

SHANNON MONEO

correspondent

Victoria

The 2007 National Apprenticeship Survey results were rolled out June 9 for more than 500 people attending the Canadian Apprentice Forum 2008 Conference in Victoria.

Roughly 30,000 Canadians learning a trade participated in the joint Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) and Statistics Canada project.

The survey reconfirmed what’s been usually evident at construction sites. Most of those mastering a trade are male Canadians, aged 25-39, pursuing a Red Seal career.

“This survey is a very rich basis of data,” said Kevin Evans, of B.C’s Industry Training Authority.

The extensive results will allow industry-players to deliver “evidence-based decision-making,” he added.

The snapshot taken by the survey was captured over 2007.

The survey broke respondents into three groups based on their apprenticeship training status in 2002-04, said Marinka Menard of Statistics Canada: long-term continuers; completers and discontinuers.

In the first five months of 2007, 67,000 surveys were distributed.

About 30,000 responded, with 55 per cent of the long term continuers responding, 65 per cent of the completers answering and 35 per cent of the discontinuers taking part.

It was only the third time such a survey has been done in Canada, following a 1989-90 survey of 10,000 people and a second go-round with 14,000 respondents in 1994-1995 when the Canadian economy was in the doldrums.

While about 90 per cent of the respondents were male, about 10 per cent of the respondents were female, five per cent were aboriginal, roughly seven per cent were visible minorities and about five per cent were landed immigrants.

When it came to their in-school training, equipment and technology, 31 per cent rated it excellent, 49 per cent as good, 14 per cent as fair and six per cent as poor.

One response meriting further investigation, Nugent said, was the 14 per cent who agreed or strongly agreed that their training was too difficult or technical. The remaining 86 per cent disagreed.

As for on-the-job training, 80 per cent were supervised by a journeyman at all times; 14 per cent said the work was difficult.

When it came to obstacles during an apprenticeship, 35 per cent said they had insufficient income or funding relays, 25 per cent cited lack of work and 24 per cent said the cost of tools, tuition and books hampered their learning.

For those who called it quits, 16 per cent did so due to too little work or income, 10 per cent said they got a better job and eight per cent disliked their work.

The remaining responses were spread all over the board.

“There’s no single factor which causes discontinuance,” said Jeff Nugent, speaking for the CCDA.

The question for stakeholders is, where do you focus your energy to find solutions?

For those that hung on, 70 per cent of them earned more than $40,000 after one year versus 55 per cent of the discontinuers who surpassed the $40,000 mark.

Median wage for the completers was $27 per hour compared to $20 per hour for the discontinuers.

But some discontinuers, most likely immigrants, have a change of heart and return to training.

“They’re not completely falling out of the system,” Nugent said.

The under-represented groups — women, aboriginals, visible minorities and immigrants — face multiple barriers when it comes to apprenticeship training.

Thirteen per cent of women cited family issues as a reason for discontinuing their training versus only two per cent of men. Aboriginals are the least likely to return to training.

An accessible, affordable child-care system is needed in Canada, one delegate said.

This fall, national and regional NAS reports will be released and in spring 2009 single issue reports will be available at statcan.ca or red-seal.ca. In 2009, the National Apprenticeship Survey will conduct follow-ups with respondents from the 2007 NAS.

As Nugent said, the topic begs more research.

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