National Apprenticeship Survey: Canada Overview Report 2015
Section 9 Demographic groups of interest

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Certain demographic groups in the Canadian population have traditionally been underrepresented in apprenticeship programs and in the skilled trades generally (Laryea and Medu 2010). This section examines a range of issues pertinent to apprentices belonging to three of these groups —women, Aboriginal people and immigrants—including the persons / groups who influenced or guided their decisions to learn a trade, the age at registration, the challenges they faced during an apprenticeship, and employment outcomes. Results for these groups were compared with their counterparts, where appropriate, to identify any differences in their experiences and outcomes.

Key findings

Women apprentices

Aboriginal apprentices

Immigrant apprentices

Women apprentices

Women are notably underrepresented in the trades. Results reported in section 2 indicated that women comprised about 14% of NAS apprentices overall (Table A.2.1, Appendix A).

Employers and close family members were the primary influences on women’s decision to register in an apprenticeship program. Nearly one-quarter (24.2%) of women reported that “an employer” had influenced their decisions while about 1 in 5 (20.6%) reported that “a parent / brother or sister / spouse or common-law partner” had been influential (Table A.9.1, Appendix A). About 14% had been influenced by other “relatives or friends.” However, close to 1 in 4 women (23.7%) reported that they had received no advice when deciding to enter an apprenticeship program.

Among NAS apprentices, women were less likely than men to report “a parent / brother or sister / spouse or common-law partner,” “relatives or friends”, or “a co-worker or journeyperson” as influencing their decisions to enter an apprenticeship program. However, they were more likely than their male counterparts in the NAS to cite a high school guidance counsellor, an employer, or a teacher or principal as influential in their decisions. These results are presented in Chart 9.1, below, and Table A.9.1 (Appendix A).

The majority of women had registered for their apprenticeship programs before the age of 25. However, slightly more than 10% of women registered for an apprenticeship at 45 years and older (5.7% were 45 to 49 years and an additional proportion of 5.4% were 50 years and older; see detailed results in Table A.9.2, Appendix A). Women were slightly more likely than men to register at these older ages. On average, women registered for their apprenticeship programs around age 28 while the average age for men was about 27.

Gender differences were apparent by trade and by Red Seal trade status. Women (59.2%) were much less likely than men (81.2%) to be apprentices in Red Seal trades (see detailed results in Table A.9.3, Appendix A). Across the top 10 Red Seal trades, women were also concentrated in different trades than men; women were more likely to be hairstylist and cook apprentices.  Moreover, women who had completed their apprenticeship programs were more likely to have a CoQ in a non-Red Seal tradeNote 1 (41.2%) than were men (19.4%).

Chart 9.1

Data table for Chart 9.1
Data table for Chart 9.1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 9.1 Men and Women, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Men Women
percent
Co-worker / journeyperson 9.5 7.1
Teacher / principal 5.7 8.4
Relatives or friends 22.6 13.9
Parent / sibling / spouse 29.6 20.6
No advice 23.1 23.7
An employer 14.7 24.2

Women were less likely than men to have experienced difficulty finding an employer who was hiring apprentices when they were starting an apprenticeship. A relatively small proportion of women (15.9%) had encountered this problem, while 19.7% of men did (Table A.9.4, Appendix A). However, there was no significant difference between men and women in terms of experiencing difficulty progressing through their apprenticeships (34.9% and 32.0%, respectively).

Among women who had discontinued an apprenticeship program, the most commonly stated reason for not completing an apprenticeship was “personal or family issues.” Additionally, women who were discontinuers cited “disliked the work”, “job instability,” “received an offer of a better job,” or “financial constraints” as the main reasons for discontinuing (Table A.9.5, Appendix A). Women were much more likely to report having “personal or family issues” (20.5%) or having “disliked the work” (11.4%) as the main reason for not completing an apprenticeship than were men (9.0% and 7.3% of men, respectively). Conversely, men were more likely than their female counterparts to report having “received an offer of a better job,” “job instability,” or “financial constraints” as the main reason for not completing an apprenticeship.

With respect to employment outcomes, the majority of women had worked at a job or business during the week prior to the survey. However, women were less likely than men to have held a job during the reference period. Chart 9.2, below, shows that 72.5% of women and 81.8% of men in the NAS population were employed (see detailed results in Table A.9.6, Appendix A) the week prior to the survey. Among those who were employed in the previous week, more than 4 in 5 women (83.5%) worked full-time hours (30 hours or more per week), while 97.6% of men did so.

Chart 9.2

Data table for Chart 9.2
Data table for Chart 9.2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 9.2 Worked at job / business in week prior to survey and Did not work at job / business in week prior to survey, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Worked at job / business in week prior to survey Did not work at job / business in week prior to survey
percent
Women 72.5 27.5
Men 81.8 18.2

Women who were employed during the week prior to the survey worked largely as paid employees with a permanent job. Women were more likely than their male counterparts to be working in a permanent job (83.1% versus 78.7%). However, similar proportions of women and men were self-employed (10.1% and 11.0%, respectively; see detailed results in Table A.9.6, Appendix A).

Aboriginal apprentices

Aboriginal apprentices comprised about 6% of the 2015 NAS population overall (see Table A.2.1, Appendix A).

The most common influences on Aboriginal apprentices’ decision to learn a trade were “a parent / brother or sister / spouse or common-law partner” and “relatives or friends”.  More than 2 in 5 Aboriginal apprentices cited these two groups as influential, while 17.4% reported that “an employer” had influenced their decisions (Table A.9.7, Appendix A). About 10% of Aboriginal apprentices also stated that “a co-worker or journeyperson” was influential in a decision to start an apprenticeship. While non-Aboriginal apprentices were somewhat more likely to cite close family members as influences on learning a trade, generally there were no notable differences in the main influences reported by these two groups.

The majority of Aboriginal apprentices had registered for their apprenticeship programs before the age of 30. Aboriginal apprentices were slightly less likely than non-Aboriginal apprentices to register at younger ages (before age 25); however, more than three-quarters had started an apprenticeship by age 34 (Table A.9.8, Appendix A). The average age of registration was similar for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal apprentices (27.3 and 27.0, respectively).  

Similar proportions of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal apprentices were registered in a Red Seal trade. Chart 9.3 below presents the distribution of apprentices across the top 10 Red Seal trades by Aboriginal status. In the top 10 Red Seal trades, more than 1 in 5 Aboriginal apprentices worked in either the carpenter and construction electrician trades (see detailed results in Table A.9.9, Appendix A).

Chart 9.3

Data table for Chart 9.3
Data table for Chart 9.3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 9.3 Non-Aboriginal apprentices and Aboriginal apprentices, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Non-Aboriginal apprentices Aboriginal apprentices
percent
Industrial electrician 0.9 0.6
Industrial mechanic (millwright) 2.4 2.4
Cook 2.4 2.4
Plumber 3.4 3.0
Steamfitter / pipefitter 3.0 3.4
Automotive service technician 5.0 3.5
Hairstylist 4.9 5.2
Welder 3.6 6.0
Construction electrician 11.7 9.4
Carpenter 12.6 13.3

Aboriginal apprentices were more likely than non-Aboriginal apprentices to be in the welder trade, but less likely to be in the construction electrician and automotive service technician trades. Among completers, there was no significant difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal apprentices in terms of holding a CoQ in either a Red Seal trade or a non-Red Seal trade (Table A.9.9, Appendix A).

Most Aboriginal apprentices did not report difficulties in finding an employer who was hiring apprentices when they were starting an apprenticeship. Similar proportions of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal apprentices reported problems in finding an employer at the start of an apprenticeship (20.5% and 19.1%, respectively; see Table 9.10, Appendix A). On the other hand, Aboriginal apprentices (43.2%) were more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (33.9%) to report having had difficulty progressing through an apprenticeship.

Among those Aboriginal apprentices who had discontinued an apprenticeship, “financial constraints” was the most commonly cited reason for not completing. Nearly 1 in 5 (19.7%) Aboriginal apprentices reported this as the main reason for not completing (Table A.9.11, Appendix A). The most common reason cited by non-Aboriginal discontinuers was “job instability” (17.5%).  Aboriginal apprentices were more likely than non-Aboriginal apprentices to report “financial constraints” as the main reason for discontinuing an apprenticeship (19.7% and 10.0%, respectively). Furthermore, more than one-quarter of Aboriginal apprentices reported that receiving an offer of a better job (14.7%) or experiencing job instability (14.5%) had prevented them from completing an apprenticeship.

Slightly more than three-quarters of Aboriginal apprentices had worked at a job or business during the week prior to the survey. Aboriginal apprentices were slightly less likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to have been employed during the reference period (76.3% and 80.8%, respectively; Table A.9.12, Appendix A). However, among those apprentices who had worked in the reference period, there was no significant difference between the proportion of Aboriginal apprentices and the proportion of non-Aboriginal apprentices who worked full time hours.

There were some differences in the type of employment held by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal apprentices. Chart 9.4, below, shows the detailed employment status of these two groups (results also presented in Table 9.12, Appendix A).While the majority (74.4%) of Aboriginal apprentices worked as paid employees with a permanent job, they were slightly less likely than non-Aboriginal apprentices (79.6%) to be in this type of employment. Conversely, Aboriginal apprentices were more likely than non-Aboriginal apprentices to have worked as a paid employee in a temporary job during the reference period (10.6% and 5.4%, respectively). However, similar proportions of Aboriginal (10.5%) and non-Aboriginal (10.9%) apprentices were self-employed.

Chart 9.4

Data table for Chart 9.4
Data table for Chart 9.4
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 9.4 Non-Aboriginal apprentices and Aboriginal apprentices, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Non-Aboriginal apprentices Aboriginal apprentices
percent
Paid employee with seasonal job 4.0 4.6
Self-employed 10.9 10.5
Paid employee with temporary job 5.4 10.6
Paid employee with permanent job 79.6 74.4

Immigrant apprentices

Immigrants comprised about 9% of the NAS population overall (Table A.2.1, Appendix A).

Among immigrant apprentices, “an employer” and “relatives and friends” were the most commonly cited influences in the decision to learn a trade. Close family members, i.e., “a parent / brother or sister / spouse or common-law partner” (16.3%), and “a co-worker or tradesperson / another apprentice / journeyperson” (12.1%) were also among the top influences reported by immigrants (Table A.9.13, Appendix A). More than one-quarter (27.2%) reported that they had received no advice. Immigrants were much less likely than non-immigrants to cite close family members as influential in their decisions. On the other hand, “an employer” or “a co-worker or tradesperson / another apprentice / journeyperson” was slightly more likely to be an influence among immigrants than among non-immigrants.

There was a notable difference in the age of registration between immigrants and non-immigrants. These results are presented in Chart 9.5, below, and Table A.9.14 (Appendix A). The average age of registration was higher among immigrants than non-immigrants (31.9 and 26.5, respectively).The majority of non-immigrants had registered before the age of 25, whereas the age of registration among immigrants was more evenly distributed across age groups. While more than one-quarter (27.3%) of immigrants had registered prior to age 25, they were much less likely to do so than non-immigrant apprentices (55.2%). Immigrant apprentices were more likely than non-immigrants to have registered at age 35 years and older.

Chart 9.5

Data table for Chart 9.5
Data table for Chart 9.5
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 9.5 Non-Aboriginal apprentices and Aboriginal apprentices, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Non-Aboriginal apprentices Aboriginal apprentices
percent
Younger than
25 years
27.3 55.2
25 to 29 years 21.3 17.5
30 to 34 years 14.7 10.6
35 to 39 years 13.2 6.1
40 to 44 years 10.1 4.4
45 to 49 years 8.0 2.9
50 years and older 5.6 3.3

Although the majority of immigrant apprentices were registered in a Red Seal trade, they were less likely to be in a Red Seal trade compared to their non-immigrant counterparts. About 2 in 3 immigrants (67.6%) were in a Red Seal trade, while this was the case for 79.1% of non-immigrants (Table A.9.15, Appendix A). Among the top 10 Red Seal trades, the construction electrician, hairstylist, and automotive service technician trades were the most common trades in which immigrants were registered. Immigrants were less likely than non-immigrants to be carpenter, steamfitter / pipefitter, plumber, and industrial mechanic apprentices. Among immigrant completers in a Red Seal trade, the majority (59.0%) had a CoQ, while 36.3% had certification in a non-Red Seal trade.

One-quarter of immigrant apprentices reported that they had difficulty finding an employer who was hiring apprentices when they were starting an apprenticeship. This proportion is higher than that among non-immigrants (Table A.9.16, Appendix A). More than one-third of immigrant apprentices reported experiencing difficulty progressing through an apprenticeship; however, there was no notable difference in the proportion of immigrants and non-immigrants who reported this.

The most common reason that immigrant discontinuers cited for not completing their apprenticeships was “personal or family issues” (15.3%). A similar proportion reported “job instability” as the main reason for discontinuing their apprenticeships (15.1%). About one-quarter of immigrant discontinuers identified “financial constraints” or “received an offer of a better job” as the main reason for not completing (Table A.9.17, Appendix A). Chart 9.6, below, shows the top 5 reasons for discontinuing, reported by status. Immigrants were more likely than non-immigrants to report “personal or family issues” as a reason for discontinuing an apprenticeship; however, there were no statistically significant differences across the remaining reasons.

Most immigrant apprentices were working at a job or a business during the week prior to the survey. About 8 in 10 immigrants were employed during the reference period (Table A.9.18, Appendix A). The employment status of immigrants did not differ significantly from that of non-immigrants. Of those immigrant apprentices who were employed, most (95.1%) worked full-time hours, and more than three-quarters (78.5%) worked as paid employees in permanent jobs. Slightly more than 1 in 10 immigrant apprentices were self-employed (11.6%) while about 7% were paid employees with temporary jobs.

Chart 9.6

Data table for Chart 9.6
Data table for Chart 9.6
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 9.6 Non-immigrant apprentices and Immigrant apprentices, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Non-immigrant apprentices Immigrant apprentices
percent
Received a better job offer 15.8 13.4
Financial constraints 10.6 13.4
Job instability 17.5 15.1
Personal or family issues 10.0 15.3

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