B. BARRIERS EXPERIENCED BY SPECIFIC GROUPS

Aboriginal People

Focus-group participants and key informants pointed to the inflexibility in government-administrated training, employment and apprenticeship programs. One provincial study identified an insufficient understanding of the socio-economic realities of Aboriginal communities among provincial government apprenticeship staff (Cook Consulting, 2001). The study suggested that this lack of understanding could perpetuate a culture of ignorance and a lack of responsiveness to the barriers affecting Aboriginal communities.

According to a number of respondents, “band politics” may play a role in determining which First Nations members are offered training and employment opportunities, and the funding necessary to pursue these opportunities ().

The departure of Aboriginal people from their reserves to pursue apprenticeships can affect their access to housing because of First Nations and government policies (). If apprentices do not train and work close to home, they may lose their housing benefits. It was not clear whether this was because of federal government or First Nations policies. A focus-group participant spoke of a “flat-rate rent system” used in First Nations communities that charges renters 25 percent of their income. This system serves as a disincentive to apprentices, who earn increasingly higher wages with each year of apprenticeship.

Obtaining enough hours in a broad range of work experience can pose a significant challenge to Aboriginal people. Research literature (CLFDB, 1999; Cook Consulting, 2001) and focus groups () demonstrated that acquiring an appropriate number of on-the-job hours each year is a barrier, particularly for Aboriginal people in small First Nations communities and those living in rural and remote areas. One focus group claimed that it is particularly difficult for Aboriginal people in specialty trades to acquire enough hours within their communities. As such, these apprentices must move to work enough hours to complete their apprenticeships ().

Aboriginal people in rural and remote communities experience difficultly acquiring work experience in a broad range of areas of specific trades, which can cause apprentices to take longer than the usual three to five years to complete apprenticeships (CLFDB, 1999; Cook Consulting, 2001; ). In addition, successful Aboriginal graduates may not have the opportunity to work in their trade in their home community if local demand is low. Tradespersons can be held in lower esteem by their communities than if they were university-educated ().

Recent Immigrants

A number of barriers exist related to the apprenticeship and trades licensing system as they affect recent immigrants. These barriers include:

• Administrative barriers that arise through process delays are particularly frustrating for immigrants with limited English-language skills (Jothen, 2002).
• Temporary licensing alone has not enabled newcomers, who sought help with community agencies, to re-establish themselves in their trades (Atlin & Pond-White, 2000).
• A lack of perceived urgency. (The “system” is not taking this issue very seriously, and is not realizing the urgency to streamline and modify its practices to accommodate recent immigrants, particularly in light of future labour shortages.) ()