These attitudinal issues reach an extreme in certain sectors, where a sizable proportion of employees may not hold their own trades in high esteem and could be inclined to discourage others to join them (CARS, 1999). Labour representatives summed up these views by contrasting Canadian perspectives, which downplayed the status of the trades, against those prevailing in many European countries, where the trades enjoyed high prestige (). Some labour spokespersons also expressed concern about Canadian immigration regulations, under which tradespersons receive less recognition than immigrants with university educations. This circumstance may send a message that trades are less valued in Canada ().

Parents’ negative attitudes to trades and apprenticeship are a strong influence on the attitudes of young people.

One of the most powerful influences on young people’s career interests and choice is their parents and, more broadly, their families. Some studies suggest that the role of parents and peers in influencing career choices is particularly important, compared to that of guidance counsellors. This view was reinforced by key interviews and focus groups during this study (SPR Associates, 2002, ). In a Quebec study regarding carpentry and allied trades, family and friends were major factors promoting entry into these trades (Prism Economics and Analysis, 2000A).

Parents, however, do not proactively encourage youth to look at trades careers, preferring their children to attend university (Convergence Management Consultants Ltd., 1996 GPC International 2001). One interviewee put it very strongly: “Parents see apprenticeship as a sentence to a life of poverty” (). Another report observed:

“It also appears that many parents view opportunities in technical and trades programs as fine for someone else’s child. Yet only about 80% of students graduate from secondary school. Also, only about 30% of the secondary school graduates attend colleges and universities and only about 19% of them obtain a degree … What is required are both increased technical and trades options for learners and more effective means to convince learners of the need for them to continue their education.”

(Select Standing Committee on Education in British Columbia, 2002)

Overall, the view was that, in cases where parents and peers view apprenticeship as “second class”, this perception acts as a strong deterrent to young people entertaining the idea of apprenticeship. To illustrate this point, one survey (CARS Council, 1999) discovered the following parental perceptions or concerns about trades and apprenticeship:

• Difficulty in finding apprenticeship placement;
• Perception that industries look for people well into their twenties;
• Cost of tools during apprenticeship;
• Poor remuneration and treatment of apprentices;
• Physical demands of the job are excessive after the age of 40 or 45;
• “Dead end” image to certain industries; and
• Work has become more mundane as workplaces become more automated and computerized.