Researchers conducted interviews and focus groups with a wide variety of apprenticeship stakeholder groups, and supplemented this study with an extensive literature review. Compilation of stakeholder views into an orderly set of perceptions regarding apprenticeship barriers did not occur until later in the study. At that point, the overall perceptions of individuals, employers, labour representatives, educators and individual groups were summarized and organized.
It was noteworthy, therefore, that the research team found the respondents commonly perceive a broad array of generic barriers. Moreover, groups such as women, Aboriginal people, immigrants, visible minorities and persons with disabilities all encountered these generic barriers, often with a particular intensity or from a particular perspective that reflected their circumstances. Similarly, small businesses, especially in rural or remote areas, experienced more difficulties with many of these barriers than their larger counterparts.
Emergence of a generally perceived set of generic barriers was significant. Researchers strongly suggest that these nine barriers constitute a core group of accessibility issues across different constituency groups: