In the initial phase of this project, we conducted research into the apprenticeship program, and the needs of apprenticeship candidates in terms of literacy and basic skills. Adults considering an apprenticeship program require two different types of literacy and basic skills: those used on the job, and those that are required for the classroom. Although the majority of an apprentice’s time is spent using the more practical on-the-job skills, the need for more academic skills is apparent when they enter the classroom phase of training. These two sets of skills are sometimes incongruent, and many candidates face challenges when they enter the classroom. LBS learners in particular need to develop both types of skills in order to be successful.
Next, we investigated the academic entry requirements for apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships are governed by two distinct pieces of legislation in the province of Ontario: the Apprenticeship Certification Act (ACA) and the Trades Certification and Apprenticeship Act (TQAA). The ACA covers all trades except construction. Most of these trades require a grade twelve education and/or a secondary school diploma or equivalent.
The TQAA, on the other hand, governs the construction trades, and lists the entry requirements for those trades as anywhere from grade eight to grade ten. Despite the fact that the TQAA has lower entry requirements, however, experts in the field note that apprenticeship candidates really require literacy and basic skills at a much higher level, as well as job-specific skills and knowledge at the grade twelve level.
Contacts at both the Apprenticeship Branch and the construction trade noted that although the entry requirements for construction apprentices are, for the most part, lower than grade twelve, candidates are expected to participate in classroom training at the community college level. The academic skills that a candidate needs to be successful at this level, particularly in science and math, are skills that they would normally acquire in a secondary school curriculum.
In addition, rapid advancements in technology demand that all apprentices and journey persons constantly upgrade their professional skills. This will involve a process of lifelong learning and job-specific training at an advanced level. In order to compete, individuals will require the academic skills necessary to participate in periodic upgrading programs.
Finally, the trades themselves are anxious to recruit individuals who are secondary school graduates. This, in the opinion of spokesmen for the trades, will enhance the profile of journey persons, as well as the trades themselves. For this reason, many training programs, such as those offered by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, require that apprentices have acquired a secondary school diploma or equivalent before entering their training program.