Section 8
Quality of Apprenticeship Training

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Most apprenticeship programs require registered apprentices to follow a mix of technical training and on-the-job workforce training.

The NAS sought to determine the apprentices' overall satisfaction with their training programs and to link their responses to completion rates and retention rates in the three apprentice groups.

As part of the accreditation process, the journeyperson assigned to supervise an apprentice's work practicum must corroborate the apprentice's on-the-job training and number of hours of work experience completed. The 2007 NAS asked apprentices whether they were supervised during their programs and, if they had no supervision, how long they had worked unsupervised.

In general, either for the on-the-job training or the technical training, apprentices of all three groups found their training satisfactory and not too difficult.

Because the methods of training can differ from one provincial and territorial jurisdiction to another, the results on the quality of apprenticeship training could vary when analyzed at the jurisdictional level.

On-the-job training

In Quebec, 82% of discontinuers compared with 79% of long-term continuers and 77% of completers reported that they had received supervision at all times during their work terms (see Appendix 1 Table A.1.8.1.1).

Appendix 1 Table A.1.8.1.2shows that, of the remaining approximately 20%, nearly half of discontinuers and completers (47% of both) compared with 35% of long-term continuers said they had been without supervision for 2 weeks or less. Nearly half of long-term continuers (46%) but only 38% of completers and 30% of discontinuers reported spending 15 weeks or more without supervision from an accredited journeyperson.

Appendix 1 Table A.1.8.1.3 shows that between 81% and 85% of the three apprentice groups did not find their journeyperson's explanations too fast. A slightly higher proportion of completers (19%) compared with long-term continuers (17%) and discontinuers (16%) did find the explanations too fast.

Similarly between 81% and 90% did not find the work difficult. A higher proportion of discontinuers and completers (18%) compared with long-term continuers (10%) did find the work difficult.

Technical training

As shown in Chart 8.1 (see Appendix 1 Table A.1.8.2), almost 80% of the apprentices in the three groups said the equipment used for the technical training was either good or excellent. Thirty percent of all three groups found the overall quality of this training to be excellent.

The vast majority of the apprentices in three groups did not find the course and written material hard to understand or the instructor's delivery rushed. Overall, between 80% and 88% of the apprentices in the three groups did not find their technical training difficult (see Appendix 1 Table A.1.8.2).