Discrimination in the workplace continues to be a problem that seriously undermines the retention and success of visible-minority apprentices. In some cases, discrimination is manifested by visible-minority members being hired as apprentices but relegated to perform menial chores ().

While this unwelcoming behaviour is often attributed to co-workers and immediate supervisors, one key informant argued that it is always within an employer’s power to put a stop to racist or discriminatory behaviour in workplaces: the threat of discipline or dismissal can be a powerful tool for change ().

Responsibility for discriminatory attitudes does not rest solely with employers or co-workers. In the view of some respondents, government apprenticeship administrators—front-line apprenticeship representatives who have direct contact with apprentices—may have also participated in perpetuating or facilitating exclusionary or discriminatory practices (). While this problem does not appear to be endemic, it can represent a significant barrier since these administrators, when dealing with apprentices from visible-minority groups, may be viewed as representing the entire apprenticeship system.

Recent Immigrants

Recent immigrants are often the target of discriminatory behaviour in various aspects of the apprenticeship and trades system, a situation that is made worse by a lack of understanding about the different barriers that immigrants face. This attitude represents a significant barrier to entry or completion of an apprenticeship for recent immigrants (CLFDB, 1995; ).

A lack of understanding may sometimes be reflected in the attitudes of counsellors and apprenticeship case officers. Although these attitudes may arise from negative views on the part of these individuals, they may also stem from a lack of adequate information or insight into the cultural, economic, educational and informational barriers that recent immigrants face ().

The predominance of individuals from the same cultural or ethnic group in a particular shop or worksite may be a challenging and sometimes unwelcoming environment for immigrants if they do not belong to that same group. Some immigrants noted that the hiring process for openings in such work environments might be biased in favour of particular nationalities, cultures or ethnicities ().

Persons with Disabilities

The isolation and discrimination faced by persons with disabilities in training and workplaces is well recognized. Gordon (2002) cited a lack of awareness and sensitivity of employers and co-workers to barriers faced by members of this group, and societal bias as significant obstacles to their workplace integration. Workplace managers do not always communicate with other workers to assist in the integration of workers with disabilities (). Furthermore, employers and co-workers sometimes believe that persons with disabilities should be doing more work in certain areas of workplaces to compensate for the fact that they might be doing less work in other areas.

One respondent from the construction industry indicated that resistance from other workers might exist even when tools can be adapted. The social isolation of persons with disabilities is often a consequence of such resistance, making the preparation of employers and other employees an essential condition for success before apprentices or employees with disabilities begin their work ().