).Some Aboriginal parents are suspicious of the apprenticeship “indentureship” process, and do not trust what they are told by non-Aboriginals (CLFDB, 1999). Research has found that, because of cultural differences and mistrust toward the unfamiliar apprenticeship model, some Aboriginal people may fear entering an apprenticeship contract or agreement, and need support to understand and complete such documentation ().
Relocation is often necessary to complete apprenticeship training. The fact that many young Aboriginal people in rural areas or on reserves are strongly tied to their communities may be a barrier to entering apprenticeships. Since local employment opportunities may be minimal, apprenticeship may cause Aboriginal youth to leave their communities and relocate for on-the-job or in-school training (). Relocation can be a disincentive to the formation of a strong interest in apprenticeship on the part of Aboriginal
youth and their parents. Aboriginal parents in rural or remote First Nations communities, naturally, may be less inclined to promote careers that mean their children have to relocate for employment and training (
).
Parental influence can be particularly strong within certain ethnic families. In one study, the attitudinal bias against non-university career direction was particularly strong within the Asian community. At the same time, the same focus groups revealed that parents often had little information about non-university training options (Jothen, 2002). In a student focus group conducted for this study, participants on an academic path—all of whom were members of visible minorities with immigrant parents—spoke about the tremendous pressure applied by their parents in favour of them attending university (). One such student indicated that he did not give the trades a second thought, and that his parents
“wanted for me what they didn’t have” ().
It is possible that persons with disabilities may have a psychological barrier to face in their appreciation of the trades and apprenticeship. Young persons with disabilities lack role models or examples of individuals who have succeeded in apprenticable trades, limiting their interest in these occupations (). For one interviewee, persons
with disabilities may have the perception that work in technological occupations presents less physical and accessibility barriers, explaining why these people are moving into these occupations
at the expense of the trades.
A British Columbia study [WoodLINKS (2002)] that looked at means to improve access to trades for persons with disabilities identified a range of concerns shared by employers in the forest-products sector over the hiring of persons with disabilities. Most notable were concerns about mobility (given the physical demand of the work) and the type of work that can be done; concerns regarding the need for increased management or supervision time; fear that medical costs will rise and productivity will fall; and a lack of information on adaptation requirements and the skills persons with disabilities can bring to workplaces.
The research found a relative absence of information on the apprenticeship experiences of persons with disabilities. The available literature in this area did not permit a detailed differentiation of barriers faced by persons with different types of disabilities. The majority of the findings from the literature and interviews relate either to disabilities in general or to physical disabilities.