Focus groups involving rural youth, high school students and parents all validated the fact that awareness and information on apprenticeship and trades careers are lacking (). One participant stated: “Schools need to advertise more about trades and apprenticeship; these are not ‘pushed’ much in high school; counsellors provide little information about it” (). This perspective differed little from an earlier Canadian Labour Force Development Board report (CLFDB, 1997), which highlighted the importance of marketing and promotion as part of the solution to address apprenticeship awareness and image issues.

Many sector studies also tended to confirm the fact that students, teachers, counsellors and parents lack awareness and information about various industries, particularly those regarding trades and technical careers (Convergence Management Consultants Ltd., 1996; CARS, 1999). Generally, the public, including most age, gender and educational groups, shows a low level of awareness of the trades in general and little knowledge of the full spectrum of jobs that comprise the trades (GPC International, 2001).

These views were also confirmed by key informant interviews and focus groups. One stakeholder indicated young people, especially equity group members, often do not see apprenticeship as a career path that can lead to self-employment (). These interviewees did not know what is involved, what the pay is (relative to careers for university graduates), and how quickly they can achieve a good-paying job with no student loans to pay back. Another interviewee reinforced this lack of awareness, suggesting that youth are unaware of the steps they can take to enter apprenticeship (). Many students have a perception that candidates need contacts or relatives to enter the trades.

Key informants cited particular examples:

• In the view of one informant, apprenticeship is not effectively promoted by government or colleges—the latter preferring to promote other programs over the trades. Governments are sometimes viewed as invisible when it comes to promotion. The interviewee noted that it is essential for government apprenticeship representatives to maintain good contacts with industrial arts teachers. This individual recalled instances in which government representatives had not maintained such contacts, or were in some cases completely unknown to industrial arts teachers in their area.
• A second informant spoke of visiting a rural school where approximately 20 percent of students go to university: “Yet in the school entrance hall, there were three or four glossy career posters, which all focused on university careers. There was nothing about the trades or work-related programs. This was not atypical but rather symbolic” ().

Key informants and focus-group participants suggested that young people need to be connected to potential career options and information early on, at around the Grade 9 level (). One interviewee maintained that, despite numerous information products of excellent quality in circulation, and numerous information campaigns, information is still not getting across to potential apprentices (). Some interviewees noted, in particular, the lack of personal contact between actual tradespeople and potential apprentices ().

A number of labour representatives also noted the strong leadership role the federal government, as the largest purchaser of construction, could play to ensure that contractors on federal projects give strong priority to apprenticeship (). Other labour spokespersons saw an opportunity for public-sector unions, whose members include many tradespersons, to promote apprenticeship for their members.