The number of apprentices in the trades is increasing, but not enough apprentices are able to reach certification

This time next year, Joella Fletcher plans to prepare for or take her final exams to become a Certified Red Seal Carpenter.

Hailing from just outside Stratford, Ontario, the Level 2 Carpentry Apprentice has a fairly straightforward path since choosing a trade rather than university. She received a carpentry co-op placement and dual credit opportunity in 12th grade, which resulted in a pre-apprenticeship college program that matched with her current employer.

Still, Fletcher’s journey has not been free of obstacles. For example, she did the initial research herself, because high school guidance counselors did not have much information. There were also delays in officially tracking her apprenticeship journey, which is a requirement for certification.

“It took me about a year and a half to realize that I should have done this a log book “I had to complete various tasks and sign off on them,” the 21-year-old said.

Statistics Canada says there are more new apprentices signing up in Canada than in the past decade, yet the number of apprentices reaching certification on time remains very low. Financial concerns, difficulty in getting hired early, proper guidance and mentorship for both apprentices and journeymen are among the obstacles plaguing young traders today.

New registrations in apprenticeship programs nationally reached 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 drive that growth? Aspiring plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, electricians and interior finishers are signing up in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as people wanting to become automotive service workers and electricians in Ontario.

Yet with 46,971 certifications issued in 2024, the completion rate (19.9 percent) is still below pre-pandemic levels, while the persistence rate – trainees registered in programs, but not yet certified – remains high (49.2 percent).

“New registrations are up – that’s great, but we need people to make it happen,” 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 lot of people drop out, it won’t matter if there are new registrations.”

Arrowsmith said the population of certified merchants in Canada has been declining over the past decade, adding that a number of barriers have traditionally stood in the way.

This includes Level 1 or 2 apprentices not finding employers to sponsor them, as well as apprentices earning good salaries being hesitant to take a pay cut to attend the block of training required to progress to the next level.

Employers are unwilling to release workers for training during busy periods and trainees worried about taking final certification exams also remain a concern.

Meanwhile, bullying and harassment remain persistent in the business, with people in equity priority groups often leaving “because they don’t feel welcome,” Arrowsmith said.

He also noted a decline in employer investment in training and mentoring in general across Canada.

The issue must be tackled on multiple fronts – whether it’s teaching more existing trades people to mentor apprentices, exploring adjustments to the journeyperson-apprentice ratio or ensuring apprenticeship training requirements are included in any new infrastructure projects announced, says Jeff Sloychuk, president of the Yukon Building Trades Council.

“We teach reading blueprints. We teach placing concrete. We teach making welds. We’re not really teaching the ability to give advice,” he told Whitehorse.

Sloychuk cites a recent Yukon project in which a single intern was hired, when he believes several dozen could have been brought on.

“He said ‘This is not a training job.’ Well, in our view, every job is a training job, especially when you are using public money,” he said.

Sloychuk is from a fly-in community, and has lived and worked in similar cities in Alberta, BC, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon. Thus, he would like to see more initiatives that support alternative routes to certification for tradespeople in remote areas that recognize their work hours and experience.

He also suggests creating greater capacity to train and test apprentices locally rather than forcing people to travel long distances to progress in their careers.

Fewer apprentices getting certified means fewer people traveling to guide and teach subsequent apprentices and workers, he said.

“It’s a chicken and egg situation.”

emulating successes elsewhere

Successes in other countries may also offer ideas for Canada.

Known for its strong business sector, Germany’s education system teaches students early on about these roles, while German companies place great importance on apprenticeships and workplace training, Arrowsmith said.

“German employers just see it as an investment and Canadian employers just see it as a cost,” he explains.

Employers may be hesitant to hire Level 1 or 2 apprentices – who are often the first to be laid off when work is slow – but in Australia, Arrowsmith says there is a government-funded intermediary that connects apprentices with suitable workplaces, assists with administrative tasks (like tracking hours) and can even help apprentices find a new employer if the job ends early.

In Canada, some First Nations have a similar system in place, he said.

“It’s just helping young people manage apprenticeships, rather than young people having to go out and try to find a job on their own,” he said. He said the model also helps small and medium-sized companies, which may not have the finances to hire apprentices for the entire duration of their years of training.

During her apprenticeship, Samara Sampson was often the only woman in both classrooms and workplaces. So, the sheet metal worker took to social media to connect with other women in the trade.

Chats and messages with a few like-minded people soon gave birth to Women on Site, a growing network where women and businesspeople from underrepresented groups exchange stories and advice, as well as gather to socialize on weekend camping trips.

It’s organic networking that makes mentorship “less intimidating and easier,” said Sampson, who is now a certified journeyperson.

He believes that more on-the-job mentors and ongoing support, as well as making the workplace culture more inclusive, will help retain more apprentices.

“We’re doing a really good job on putting resources into place and recruiting efforts,” Sampson said.

“It’s the retention part that people need to start paying more attention to because you’re investing so much in engaging these people.”