In the trades, apprentices are increasing, but not enough are making it to certification
This time next year, Joellah Fletcher plans to be prepping or taking her final exams to become a certified Red Seal carpenter. The determined, level 2 carpentry apprentice from outside Stratford, Ont., has had a fairly straightforward path since choosing a trade rather than university. She took carpentry co-op placements and a dual-credit opportunity in Grade 12, which led to a pre-apprenticeship college program that matched her with her current employer.Still, Fletcher's journey hasn't been bump-free. She conducted early research on her own, for instance, because high school guidance counsellors didn't have much info. Officially tracking her apprenticeship journey, a requirement for certification, was also delayed. “I was about a year, a year-and-a half in before I even realized I was supposed to have a log book for the different jobs I was suppose to be completing and signing off on,” said the 21-year-old.Canada is seeing more new apprentices signing up than it has in over a decade, says Statistics Canada, yet the number of apprentices reaching certification in a timely manner remains much lower. Financial concerns, difficulty getting hired early on, spotty guidance and mentorship for both apprentices and journeypersons are among the barriers tripping up young tradespeople today.WATCH | PM pledges new investment in apprenticeships:Liberal Leader Mark Carney, during a stop in Oakville, Ont., on Saturday, said his government would create an $8,000 grant for apprenticeship training in the skilled trades, to help address the labour shortages expected in the years ahead.New registrations in apprenticeship programs nationally hit a record high of 101,541 in 2024, an increase of nearly six percent over the previous year, Statistics Canada revealed this month. What helped propel that rise? Aspiring plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, electricians and interior finishers signing up in Alberta and British Columbia, plus folks eager to become automotive service workers and electricians in Ontario.Yet with 46,971 certificates issued in 2024, the completion rate (19.9 per cent) is still lower than pre-pandemic levels, while the continuation rate — apprentices registered in programs, but not yet certified — remains elevated (49.2 per cent). "New registrations are going up — that's awesome, but we need people to complete," said Emily Arrowsmith, director of research at the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, a national non-profit advocacy and research organization. "We need to offer those supports and resources and get them through the program, because if a bunch of people just end up dropping out, it doesn't matter that there's new registrations." Students work in a carpentry lab at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. While a jump in new apprenticeship registrations is something to cheer, Emily Arrowsmith of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum says they need those who register to complete their certifications. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)Canada's population of certified tradespeople has been declining for the last decade, Arrowsmith noted, adding that there are a variety of barriers that traditionally stand in the way. That includes level 1 or 2 apprentices not finding employers to sponsor them, as well as apprentices earning good wages being hesitant to take a pay cut to attend the blocks of training required to progress to the next level.Employers unwilling to release workers for training during busy stretches and apprentices anxious about taking final certification exams are also ongoing concerns. Meanwhile, bullying and harassment remain persistent in the trades, with people from equity priority groups often leaving “because they just don't feel welcome,” Arrowsmith said. She also noted an erosion of employer investment in training and mentorship in general across Canada.WATCH | Rising interest still may not meet demand for tradespeople:More Canadians are pursuing skilled trade apprenticeships, according to Statistics Canada. However, it still may not be enough to fill the vacancies expected when industries like construction see mass waves of retirement.The issue must be tackled on multiple fronts — whether that's teaching more current tradespeople to mentor apprentices, exploring adjustments to the journeyperson-apprentice ratio or ensuring apprenticeship training requirements are incorporated into any new infrastructure project announced, says Jeff Sloychuk, president of the Yukon Building Trades Council.“We teach how to read blueprints. We teach how to place concrete. We teach to make a weld. We're not teaching the ability to actually mentor,” he said from Whitehorse.Sloychuk referenced a recent Yukon project that hired a single apprentice, when he believes several dozen could have been brought in.“They said ‘This is not a training job.’ Well, in our view, every job is a training job, particularly when you're using public money,” he said. Jeff Sloychuk of the Yukon Building Trades Council wants to build more capacity to train and test apprentices locally, rather than forcing people to travel great distances in order to progress in their trades careers. (Submitted by Jeff Sloychuk) Sloychuk hails from a fly-in community, and has lived and worked in similar towns across Alberta, B.C., the Northwest Territories and Yukon. As such, he also wants to see more initiatives that support an alternate path to certification for tradespeople in remote regions that recognizes their hours and experience. He also suggests building more capacity to train and test apprentices locally, rather than forcing people to travel great distances in order to progress in their careers. Fewer apprentices getting certified means fewer journeypeople to guide and teach subsequent apprentices and labourers, he said. “It's a chicken and the egg sort of situation.”Successes in other countries can also offer ideas for Canada. Known for its strong trades sector, Germany's education system teaches students early on about these roles, Arrowsmith noted, while German firms place great value on apprenticeships and workplace training. Canada could take a page from successful models and practices in other countries, like Germany and Australia, says Emily Arrowsmith of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. (Lufan Yang)“German employers just see it much more as an investment and Canadian employers see it a cost,” she pointed out. Employers can be hesitant to hire level 1 or 2 apprentices — who are also often the first to be laid off when work slows down — but in Australia, Arrowsmith says there is a government-funded intermediary that connects apprentices with suitable workplaces, aids with administrative tasks (like tracking of hours) and can also help apprentices find a new employer if a job ends early. She noted that in Canada, some First Nations have a similar system in place.“It's just helping the young person kind of manage the apprenticeship rather than having the young people go and try and find jobs on their own,” she said, adding that this model also helps small and medium-sized firms that may not have the finances to keep apprentices on for the entire length of their years-long training. While much effort and investment has gone into recruiting more people for skilled trades, journeyperson Samara Sampson wants to see attention paid to retention, too. (Submitted by Samara Sampson)During her apprenticeship, Samara Sampson was often the lone woman, both in classrooms and on job sites. So, the sheet metal worker ventured onto social media to connect with other women in trades. Chats and messages with a few likeminded folks soon led to Women On Site, a growing network where women and tradespeople from underrepresented groups trade stories and advice, plus gather to socialize, like on weekend camping trips. It's organic networking that makes mentorship "less intimidating and easy," said Sampson, who's now a certified journeyperson. She believes more on-the-job mentors and ongoing support, as well as improving workplace culture to be more inclusive, will help keep more apprentices around."We've been doing a really good job at pouring resources into and working on recruitment efforts," Sampson said. "It's the retention piece that people need to start paying more attention to because you're investing a lot in getting these people in." An apprentice trains at UA local 46 in Toronto in 2023. (Martin Trainor/CBC)
