New registrations in apprenticeship programs in Canada falls in 2019, led by sharp declines in Alberta
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
Released: 2020-12-09
In 2019, new registrations in apprenticeship programs (-2.9%) and certifications in the trades (-3.9%) fell from 2018, as losses in Alberta offset gains in Ontario and Quebec.
Apprenticeship training programs are essential for developing the skills and knowledge of tradespeople and maintaining a skilled labour force in Canada. Tradespeople are represented in almost every industry, from manufacturing and construction to hospitality and education, and are an important driver of the Canadian economy.
The data in this release were collected in 2019, the year prior to the pandemic, and provide an important baseline for examining its impact on apprenticeship programs in Canada, which, are expected to be hit hard in 2020.
New registrations down sharply in Alberta in 2019
Prior to the pandemic, the number of new registrations in apprenticeship programs in Canada fell 2.9% from 2018 to 77,573 new registrations in 2019.
Over three-quarters of the decline occurred in Alberta, where the number of new registrations in apprenticeships fell by almost one-quarter (-2,832) to 11,607 in 2019—its lowest level in a decade and more than offsetting the gains of the previous year. New registrations in Alberta decreased in 20 of the 21 major trade groups, led by electricians (-450), plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (-358) and interior finishing (-252).
New registrations in the trades are inextricably linked to the health of local labour markets as apprentices seek to maintain suitable employment for fulfilling their on-the-job hours and technical training.
According to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours, Alberta had the slowest employment growth (+0.7%) among the provinces in 2019. Employment in Alberta was down sharply in industries where apprenticeships are most concentrated, such as construction (-4.0%) and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction (-4.0%).
Chart 1
New registrations in registered apprenticeship programs, Canada, 2018 and 2019¹
Meanwhile, the construction industry in Quebec (+5.7%) and Ontario (+2.0%) experienced strong employment growth in 2019. This helped new registrations in apprenticeship programs to reach a 10-year high in Quebec (23,568) and a 5-year high in Ontario (20,991).
In Quebec, strong growth in housing construction and public investment in infrastructure projects in recent years has led to more opportunities for apprentices to start programs as carpenters (+786), interior finishing (+363) and heavy equipment and crane operators (+300).
Similarly, investments in infrastructure projects in Ontario in recent years has coincided with increases in new registrations for electricians (+321), plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (+240) and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (+231).
Fewer certificates granted in 2019
Despite employment and economic growth in recent years, the annual number of newly certified tradespeople declined 3.9% to 52,367 in 2019, following a 6.6% gain in 2018.
Over half of the overall decline occurred in Alberta, where the number of certifications fell by 1,266 to a decade low of 7,665. The decreases were most pronounced in trades such as plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (-666), welders (-276) and electricians (-96). The ongoing economic uncertainty in Alberta may have affected the ability of apprentices to maintain suitable employment for completing their on-the-job hours and technical training.
In contrast, Quebec (+422) and British Columbia (+232) reported the largest gains in the number of certificates granted. In Quebec, sustained employment growth in the construction and manufacturing industries likely presented favourable on-the-job opportunities for apprentices looking to complete their program requirements. Similarly, continued growth in construction projects in British Columbia paralleled more certificates granted in most major trade groups, led by electricians (+117) and plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (+75).
The percentage of women choosing male-dominated trades has more than doubled in the last decade
With fewer entries into the trades in recent years, and with those aged 55 and older accounting for over one-quarter (26.1%) of certified journeypersons in the labour market, some industries may face skilled labour force shortages in the coming years.
In response, government agencies and industry leaders have taken a proactive approach to recruiting and supporting individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in the trades, such as women.
Although women have increased their representation in the labour force over the last several decades, and made up 48.0% of the labour force in 2019, they continue to be underrepresented in most apprenticeship programs. In 2019, women accounted for 13.5% of new registrations and 12.2% of certificates granted.
When women did enter into new apprenticeship programs in 2019, over half (51.5%) continued to choose trades where women are already well represented such as hairstylists, cooks, bakers and early childhood educators and assistants.
Chart 2
Women's representation in male-dominated trades¹, 2009-2019²
Despite this, women continue to make inroads into non-traditional trades. Most notably, over one-third (35.6%) of women entering into an apprenticeship program in 2019, did so in a male-dominated trade. This rate has more than doubled in the last decade. The major trade groups commonly associated with the construction industry reported the largest gains and were led by interior finishing (+268), carpenters (+263) and electricians (+214). This has helped to increase the representation of women among new entries into male-dominated trades from 3.7% in 2009 to 5.9% in 2019.
Chart 3
Percentage of women choosing to enter male-dominated trades1 versus trades where women are well represented, 1991-2019²
As the workforce ages and concerns surrounding the shortage of tradespeople rise, increasing the recruitment and retention of women in the trades could play a key role in maintaining a skilled labour force in the years to come.
New registrations and certifications in the trades expected to see further losses in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
According to the Labour Force Survey, employment in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations fell by more than one-quarter (-26.3%) in April 2020, in a year-over-year comparison. Double-digit employment losses for these occupations persisted through July (-12.0%), while August (-8.6%), September (-5.9%), and October (-2.6%) also remained well below 2019 levels.
In light of the pandemic, a special collection effort was undertaken by provincial and territorial data partners and Employment and Social Development Canada to produce preliminary aggregated estimates covering the period from February to September 2020. While final estimates will vary, these preliminary results will provide an early indication of the impact of COVID-19 on registrations and certifications in the trades.
Preliminary results suggest that new registrations (-43.0%) and certifications (-48.7%) in the trades have decreased by almost half in the first nine months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. These declines began in mid-March, as federal, provincial, and territorial governments temporarily closed all non-essential businesses and facilities.
New registrations (-71.2%) reached their lowest levels in April, while June marked the lowest point for certifications (-76.4%). August and September showed some signs of recovery as restrictions began to ease, however, these measures remained well below 2019 levels. The resurgence of COVID-19 this fall in many parts of the country led to the re-imposition of some restrictions.
Sustained declines in new registrations in apprenticeship programs and certifications in the trades may lead to increased pressures on an aging skilled labour force that has also faced rising job vacancies in recent years. According to the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey, vacancies in the trades have risen 64% when comparing the fourth quarters of 2015 and 2019.
Chart 4
Number of new registrations, 2019 vs. preliminary 2020 data¹, month-over-month
Chart 5
Number of certificates granted, 2019 vs. preliminary 2020 data¹, month-over-month
Note to readers
Context
The provinces and territories, which provide the data for this release, make operational and administrative changes related to the training and certification of the trades within their jurisdictions. These changes may affect historical comparisons. For the 2013 and 2014 reporting periods in particular, these changes substantially affected data for Ontario, including the number of registrations, participation in Red Seal and non-Red Seal apprenticeship programs, and certificates awarded. Interpretation of the data should be made within the context of these administrative and operational changes. For further information on federal, provincial and territorial changes, see the Registered Apprenticeship Information System Guide.
Preliminary aggregated estimates for 2020 were provided by 11 participating provinces and territories. Quebec and Nunavut were not included in this analysis, as Quebec did not participate and some data were missing for Nunavut. Final results will vary as disaggregated data for 2020 are collected from all provinces and territories and are edited for consistency and validated in collaboration with provincial and territorial representatives. Final estimates will be released in the fall of 2021.
Certification
The requirements for granting a certificate vary by jurisdiction in Canada. In most instances, an apprentice is issued a certificate if they complete requirements such as supervised on-the-job training and technical training, and pass one or more examinations. Meanwhile, most trade qualifiers become certified once they pass an examination.
Designated trades
The provincial and territorial jurisdictions determine the trades for which apprenticeship training is made available. These are referred to as designated trades. The jurisdictions also determine which of the designated trades require certification to work unsupervised in the trade. The list of designated trades varies considerably between jurisdictions. Data from the Registered Apprenticeship Information System include only the trades that are designated in at least one province or territory.
Male-dominated trades are defined as those programs in which men account for at least 80% of all registered apprentices.
Registered apprentices are people who are in a supervised work training program in a designated trade. The apprentice must be registered with the appropriate governing body (usually a ministry of education or labour, or a trade-specific industry governing body) to complete the training. Some apprentices could be registered to more than one apprenticeship program at the same time.
Registrations
The reference period of all registrations in 2019 is from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019.
Total registrations: The total number of registrations carried forward from the previous year, new registrations and reinstatements.
- Already registered: The number of registrations carried forward from the previous year.
- New registrations: New entrants to any apprenticeship program within the 12-month reporting period.
- Reinstatements: Registrations by people who had left an apprenticeship program in a specific trade in a previous year and returned to the same apprenticeship program during the reporting period.
Red Seal and non-Red Seal programs
The Red Seal Program sets common standards to assess the skills of tradespeople across Canada in trades referred to as the "Red Seal" trades. Tradespeople who meet the Red Seal standards, through examination, receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial or territorial trade certificates.
Non-Red Seal trades, however, do not have interprovincial standards. Many non-Red Seal trades do not require an exam to work in the trade.
Trade qualifiers or trade challengers are people who have worked in a specific trade for an extended period of time, without having ever been an apprentice, and who have received certification from a jurisdiction. This is usually done via a skills assessment in the trade.
Products
The article "Factors associated with the completion of apprenticeship training in Canada", is now available as part of the series Insights on Canadian Society (75-006-X).
The infographics "Apprenticeship in Canada, 2019" and "Completing apprenticeship training in Canada" are now available as part of the series Statistics Canada —Infographics (11-627-M).
The product "Canadian Apprenticeship Registrations and Certifications: Interactive Tool", is now available as part of Statistics Canada - Data Visualization Products (71-607-X).
A new version of the technical reference guide "Pathway indicators for registered apprentices in Canada, 2008 to 2018" is now available as a part of the Technical Reference Guides for the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (37200001).
New data on certification, continuation, and discontinuation rates of registered apprentices, 2008 to 2018, are now available (37-10-0193-01). This table replaces 37-10-0001-01 as data are now available for a larger selection of trades.
New data from the Registered Apprenticeship Information System are now available.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca)) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
- Date modified: