Concern is evident among employers and labour groups that, in many trades, apprentices receive only limited exposure to a wide range of tasks. Some employers have argued for more modularized training. Labour leaders, however, pointed out that this emphasis could weaken the skill-certification process. Some see block-release training as a serious problem, since it can promote inflexibility in training arrangements and make it difficult to schedule and carry out normal operations, especially for small employers. The lack of training locations represents another barrier, particularly in rural or remote communities, where both Aboriginal people and others may be most affected. For women, childcare responsibilities often affect their ability to relocate to take technical training.
Representatives of both employers and unions mentioned that technical content of training curriculum, currency of equipment used in training, and instructors’ knowledge of current styles and practices often lag behind technical and other changes in trade-specific skills. In addition, reliance on traditional written tests, rather than practical demonstrations of skills, was criticized by some respondents.
The ratio of journeypersons to apprentices is perceived by some to be a barrier for individuals entering into apprenticeships. Current ratios may limit employers’ ability to bring in as many apprentices as required. Smaller businesses may be particularly affected by fixed ratios if these ratios are too high, although employers’ and labour representatives’ opinions differ on the question of the appropriate ratio. There is some agreement that relaxing ratios during economic downturns would have minimal impact on the number of apprentices, at least in the short term.
The fear of externally dictated training rules and regulations, and the perceived lack of jurisdictional consistency across the country, speaks to some of the regulatory barriers identified. In fact, a number of stakeholders believe apprenticeship training is governed by too many rules and too much red tape, while some employers feared that apprenticeship regulations intrude on the internal workings of companies. The absence of national standards or core curricula in many trades represents a hindrance to large employers operating in several jurisdictions, making it difficult to develop a consistent training approach and set of standards. Finally, in the opinion of some respondents, a lack of compulsory certification in some trades has created a disincentive to create apprenticeships.
Addressing the perceived barriers identified by researchers poses an opportunity for all apprenticeship stakeholders to consider measures that: