Education, learning and training: Research Paper Series
Educational pathways of individuals who discontinue their apprenticeship programs

Introduction

Completing apprenticeship training and becoming a journeyperson generally contributes positively to individuals’ labour market outcomes.^Note  For example, two years after certifying in the trades, journeypersons had a median employment income of $62,620 in 2019.^Note  This compares with $49,400 for individuals who completed an undergraduate degree.^Note 

Many factors impact one’s ability to complete an apprenticeship program.^Note  For instance, certification in the trades is tied to business cycles and the health of local labour markets as apprentices seek to maintain suitable employment to fulfill the requirements for on-the-job hours and technical training.

According to the 2015 National Apprenticeship Survey, the most commonly stated reasons for not completing an apprenticeship program were job instability, receiving a better job offer and financial constraints. This survey also showed that apprentices who dropped out of their programs experienced difficulties securing permanent employment with adequate benefits and were more likely to be self-employed (Frank & Jovic, 2017). In addition, those who discontinued had a lower median employment income compared with those who completed their training (Jin, Langevin, Lebel and Haan, 2020).^Note 

Previous studies have focused on factors associated with certification in the trades and labour market outcomes; fewer studies have examined the educational pathways of those who discontinued their apprenticeship programs. Using data from the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP), this study looks at apprentices who registered between 2008 and 2010 and discontinued their apprenticeship programs within six years of registration. Their future interactions with the Canadian postsecondary education system, up to 2020, are then profiled.

Male apprentices had lower discontinuation rates than female apprentices

Of those who started an apprenticeship program between 2008 and 2010, more than two in five (44%) discontinued their program within six years of registration. Over the same period, slightly fewer apprentices (40%) completed their program and certified in their trade. The percentages varied across trades and between men and women.^Note 

Male apprentices had lower discontinuation rates than female apprentices (43% versus 49%). This finding was observed for many trades, especially in programs where women have historically been underrepresented (Chart 1). This includes most construction-related trades, such as carpenters, electricians and welders.

Female apprentices made up the majority of registrations in a small number of trades. These included hairstylists, early childhood educators, educational assistants, developmental services workers, and child and youth workers. In these programs, women had discontinuation rates similar to, or lower than, their male counterparts.^Note 

Data table for Chart 1



Data table for chart 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 1. The information is grouped by Trades (appearing as row headers), Trades in which women made up 75% or more of the cohort , Trades in which both men and women made up fewer than 75% of the cohort and Trades in which men made up 75% or more of the cohort , calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

Trades	Trades in which women made up 75% or more of the cohort	Trades in which both men and women made up fewer than 75% of the cohort	Trades in which men made up 75% or more of the cohort
	percent
Educational assistant	12.7	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Early childhood educator	7.3	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Hairstylist	5.1	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Developmental services worker	4.4	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Machinist	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	3.3
Child and youth worker	-1.3	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Painter and decorator	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-2.0
Welder	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-2.3
Cook	Note ...: not applicable	-4.0	Note ...: not applicable
Landscape horticulturist	Note ...: not applicable	-5.2	Note ...: not applicable
Ironworker	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-8.7
Industrial instrumentation and control technician	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-10.4
Industrial electrician	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-11.3
Steamfitter/pipefitter	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-11.7
Auto body repairer	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-12.1
Heavy duty equipment technician	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-13.7
Industrial mechanic (millwright)	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-15.1
Construction electrician	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-15.6
Truck and transport mechanic	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-16.2
Sheet metal worker	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-20.6
Carpenter	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-20.7
Roofer	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-21.3
Automotive service technician	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-21.6
Plumber	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-23.4
Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	-33.2
... not applicable Note: The chart shows 25 out of 30 selected trades, where there were enough apprentices for both men and women. See Table A1 in the appendix for more details. Source: Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 to 2020.

After discontinuing their apprenticeship programs, men were more likely to pursue another trade, while women were more likely to participate in another postsecondary program

The ELMLP was used to examine the educational pathways of those who began their apprenticeship program between 2008 and 2010 but discontinued their training within six years of registration (Chart 2). Among this group, 60% exited the postsecondary education system altogether by 2019. The remaining 40% had three possible pathways: return to the program they discontinued, apprentice in another trade, or attend a college or university in Canada.^Note 

Few discontinuers (5% of men and 2% of women) returned to the program they discontinued. Although the differences were small, those who discontinued a Red Seal trade were generally more likely to return to their apprenticeship training than those in a non-Red Seal trade, for both men and women.

Men and women had different pathways after discontinuation. Men (27%) were more likely than women (10%) to apprentice in another trade. In contrast, women (30%) were more likely than men (17%) to pursue another postsecondary program at a public college or university.

Data table for Chart 2



Data table for chart 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 2 Men and Women, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	Men	Women
	percent
Exited the post-secondary education system entirely	57.7	62.7
Pursued any education / training	42.3	37.3
Reinstated in the program	4.9	1.8
Apprenticed in another trade	26.8	10
Studied in a public post-secondary educational institution	17.4	29.6
Source: Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 to 2020.

Start of text box

Small numbers of discontinuers returned to their apprenticeship programs

In this study, discontinuers are defined based on their program status six years after registration. As a result, apprentices who discontinued their program but resumed their training before the sixth year are not considered discontinuers. This could partly explain the reason why few discontinuers returned to their program.^Note 

This section examines apprentices who discontinued their training at any point and returned to it. By this alternative definition, about half of apprentices who started their training between 2008 and 2010 discontinued within six years of registration. Of those, 13.5% resumed the program they discontinued. While the discontinuation rates were similar for men (49%) and women (51%), men (15%) had higher return rates than their female counterparts (6%).



Table 1
Apprentices who discontinued at any point during their training and returned to the same program, by sex, Canada, registered from 2008 to 2010
Table summary
This table displays the results of Apprentices who discontinued at any point during their training and returned to the same program. The information is grouped by Sex (appearing as row headers), Cohort size, By 6th year after registration, By 10th year after registration, Had ever discontinued and Had ever returned to the same program, calculated using persons and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

Sex	Cohort size	By 6th year after registration		By 10th year after registration
		Had ever discontinued	Had ever returned to the same program	Had ever discontinued	Had ever returned to the same program
	persons		percentTable 1 Note 1	persons	percentTable 1 Note 1
Both	246,340	120,365	13.7	137,000	15.6
Men	207,705	100,490	15.3	113,465	17.5
Women	38,635	19,875	6.0	23,540	6.6
Note 1 Percentage of those who had ever discontinued. Return to note 1 referrer Source: Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 - 2020.

End of text box

Younger discontinuers were more likely to enrol in another postsecondary education or training program

After discontinuing their apprenticeship programs, those who pursued other postsecondary education tended to be younger than those who exited the postsecondary system entirely. For both men and women, those who attended a postsecondary institution were younger than the other discontinuers, as well as the general apprentice population. Those who went on to apprentice in another trade also tended to be younger than those who discontinued their initial apprenticeships.

When individuals registered for their trade—which they subsequently discontinued—their median ages were 23 for men and 25 for women. In comparison, men and women who attended a postsecondary institution after discontinuing their apprenticeship programs had a median age of 20, while those who studied another trade had median ages of 22 for men and 23 for women.

Of those who studied another trade after discontinuation, many apprenticed in a program related to the trade they discontinued

Discontinuing an apprenticeship program does not necessarily mean an individual has ceased pursuing employment in the skilled trades. After discontinuing a program, approximately one-quarter (26%) of men and 10% of women studied another trade.

Of the discontinuers who apprenticed in another trade, about half (44% of men and 57% of women) apprenticed in a program related to the trade they discontinued.^Note  This suggests that some discontinuers were switching to another closely related trade rather than leaving their career in the skilled trades altogether. They may be pursuing a career that is more aligned with their interests or that provides better employment outcomes, and some of the training and experience they acquired in the program they discontinued may have been transferred.

The percentage of discontinuers pursuing another apprenticeship program varied across trades. Perhaps because of a lack of related programs, discontinuers of service-related trades, such as hairstylists and cooks, were less likely to apprentice in another trade than those who discontinued from construction-related trades, for both sexes.

Of those who apprenticed in another trade, there were breaks when transferring between trades for about half (59% of men and 47% of women). That is to say, the date of discontinuation occurred before the date of registration for the new trade. However, significant proportions of discontinuers (41% of men and 53% of women) started another trade before discontinuing their initial apprenticeship program.

Among those who pursued another trade, about 45% of men and 30% of women went on to complete an apprenticeship program and certify in the skilled trades by 2020.

Women were more likely than men to attend a postsecondary institution after discontinuing their apprenticeship program

After discontinuing their apprenticeship training, some individuals attended a postsecondary institution, and female discontinuers were more likely to do so than their male counterparts.

By the 2018/2019 academic year, a little less than one in three women (30%) attended a postsecondary institution after discontinuing their apprenticeship, whereas this was the case for a little less than one in five men (17%).

Of those who attended a postsecondary institution after discontinuation, 28% of women and 21% of men enrolled in a degree program. The remainder enrolled in a shorter certificate or diploma program. Slightly more women were in programs granting a diploma (47%) than in programs granting a certificate (45%), whereas men were more likely to study for a certificate (47%) than for a diploma (36%).

Data table for Chart 3



Data table for chart 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 3 Men and Women, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	Men	Women
	percent
Degree program	21.3	28.1
Certificate program	46.6	44.9
Diploma program	36.3	47
Other credential	20.5	10
Sources: Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 to 2020; and Postsecondary Student Information System, 2009 to 2019.

Men and women enrolled in different fields of study after discontinuation. For women, health professions and related programs was the most common field, while liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities was the most common for men.

The most common field of study varied across trades, and some discontinuers appear to have studied in a field related to the trade they discontinued. For example, mechanic and repair technologies/technicians was the most common field of study for men who discontinued several trades, such as automotive service technician, welder, heavy-duty equipment technician and industrial mechanic (millwright). For female apprentices who discontinued early childhood educator and educational assistant trades, family and consumer sciences/human sciences was the most common field of study.^Note 

Start of text box

The majority of those who discontinued their apprenticeship programs did so within the first two years

Although this varied across programs with different durations, most discontinuers left their apprenticeship training early. Of those who eventually left their training without certificates within 10 years of the initial registration, more than half (55%) discontinued their program within the first two years. By the end of the fourth year, the most common program duration, three-quarters of discontinuers had already abandoned their programs. As expected, apprentices in programs with longer durations tended to stay longer in comparison with those in programs with shorter durations. Within the first two years, 85% of discontinuers in a one-year program had left, compared with 52% of those in four-year programs.



Table 2
Timing of discontinuation, by program duration and sex
Table summary
This table displays the results of Timing of discontinuation. The information is grouped by Program duration
(years) (appearing as row headers), Apprentices, Discontinuers (by 10th year), Discontinued by, 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year, 5th year, 6th year, 7th year, 8th year, 9th year and 10th year, calculated using persons and percent (of discontinuers) units of measure (appearing as column headers).

Program duration (years)	Apprentices	Discontinuers (by 10th year)	Discontinued by
			1st year	2nd year	3rd year	4th year	5th year	6th year	7th year	8th year	9th year	10th year
	persons		percent (of discontinuers)
Both sexes
All	246,340	122,925	25.7	54.5	67.0	74.7	82.9	87.6	93.9	97.0	99.2	100.0
1	27,520	11,850	47.2	85.4	93.0	96.2	96.8	97.5	98.7	99.4	99.7	100.0
2	25,025	11,570	27.6	52.9	64.6	71.7	80.7	85.2	93.3	96.8	99.3	100.0
3	70,965	37,835	26.1	56.4	68.5	76.5	85.3	90.8	95.4	98.2	99.7	100.0
4	100,950	52,580	22.2	51.3	65.4	73.2	81.1	85.7	92.8	96.3	98.8	100.0
5	21,880	9,095	13.9	27.4	38.9	50.8	67.9	74.4	88.1	93.6	98.6	100.0
Men
All	207,705	100,385	26.6	56.9	69.4	76.9	84.2	88.3	94.3	97.2	99.2	100.0
1	25,305	10,620	47.6	84.9	92.5	96.0	96.7	97.4	98.6	99.4	99.8	100.0
2	12,050	6,100	33.8	59.0	70.7	77.2	84.6	88.4	95.2	97.9	99.4	100.0
3	56,885	28,475	26.7	60.5	72.4	79.5	86.8	91.3	95.7	98.2	99.7	100.0
4	92,035	46,375	23.2	53.5	68.0	75.8	82.8	87.0	93.4	96.6	98.8	100.0
5	21,430	8,815	14.0	27.7	39.1	50.9	68.0	74.4	88.0	93.5	98.6	100.0
Women
All	38,635	22,540	21.7	44.0	56.0	64.8	77.0	84.3	92.2	96.4	99.3	100.0
1	2,215	1,230	43.9	89.8	96.7	98.0	98.0	98.0	99.2	99.2	99.6	100.0
2	12,975	5,475	20.6	46.1	57.8	65.5	76.3	81.6	91.1	95.5	99.1	100.0
3	14,080	9,355	24.2	44.0	56.8	67.3	80.7	89.3	94.7	98.2	99.7	100.0
4	8,915	6,205	14.8	34.2	46.2	54.3	68.5	76.6	88.1	93.8	98.9	100.0
5	450	280	7.1	19.6	33.9	46.4	64.3	76.8	91.1	96.4	98.2	100.0
Sources: Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2008 to 2020.

In this study, apprentices who discontinued their training within the first six years are considered discontinuers. Although this definition captures most (88%) of those who discontinued within 10 years of registration, some apprentices who eventually discontinued are not included in this study.

End of text box

Conclusion

By the sixth year after the initial registration, two in five apprentices who started their training between 2008 and 2010 had discontinued their programs. This study examined their pathways in the public postsecondary education system after discontinuation. About 40% undertook further education, but the paths were different for men and women. Men were more likely to stay in the skilled trades by apprenticing another trade, whereas women were more likely to attend a postsecondary institution after discontinuing their program.

Some discontinuers appeared to be pursuing a related field rather than leaving a trade altogether. For instance, about half of those who started studying another trade did so in a related program. Similarly, some of those who attended a postsecondary institution after discontinuing their apprenticeship training studied in a field related to the trade they discontinued. 

Data sources and definitions

Data sources

This study used data from Statistics Canada’s Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP). The ELMLP was developed to enable anonymized information from the Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS) and the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) and tax data from the T1 Family File to be combined with information from other administrative datasets. This study uses RAIS records from 2008 to 2020 and PSIS records from the 2009/2010 academic year to the 2018/2019 academic year.

The RAIS provides information on individuals who registered for apprenticeship training and those who obtained a certification within a trade where apprenticeship training is being offered. Apprentices’ progress over time can be followed to identify those who stopped registering without receiving a certificate; they are considered to have discontinued their program.

Analogous to the RAIS, the PSIS provides information on students who enrolled in or graduated from Canadian public universities and colleges. The PSIS includes a small number of records for programs that are offered at postsecondary institutions but are not considered a postsecondary education, such as General Education Development (GED) programs or language courses. These are excluded when searching for the postsecondary education experiences of individuals who discontinued an apprenticeship. The PSIS also includes records of technical training for apprenticeship programs if they are offered in a public postsecondary institution. Those records are also excluded from this study.

Definitions

Discontinuers are individuals who stopped registering for their apprenticeship training without receiving a certificate. In this study, apprentices who started training between 2008 and 2010 and did not register for training in the sixth year after the initial registration without receiving a certificate are discontinuers of interest. By this definition, apprentices who discontinued their program and subsequently re-registered before the sixth year are not considered discontinuers. Similarly, those who discontinued in the seventh year or later are not considered discontinuers. This is because there is not enough time to follow their post-discontinuation pathways.

The educational pathways of individuals after the year they discontinued are examined in the RAIS and the PSIS. Three possible pathways, not mutually exclusive, are considered.^Note 

Some discontinuers returned to the program they discontinued in the seventh year after the initial registration or later. This is labelled as reinstated.

Apprenticeship programs in the RAIS are classified using the National Occupational Classification (NOC), augmented with three additional digits attached to the usual four-digit NOC codes (NOC+3). When discontinuers had a record in a trade that has a different NOC+3 code from the program they discontinued, they are considered to have apprenticed another trade. In these cases, the other trade’s NOC code is compared with that of the trade they discontinued. In this study, related trades are those that have the same first three digits of the NOC code. For example, if an individual discontinued their plumber (NOC code 7251) apprenticeship and then apprenticed as a steamfitter/pipefitter (NOC code 7252), this would be considered a related trade because both occupations have NOC codes that start with 725. However, if they registered in a construction electrician (NOC code 7241) apprenticeship program, this would not be considered a related trade.

Individuals who had records in the PSIS after discontinuing their apprenticeship training are labelled as studying at a postsecondary institution. In the PSIS, the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) summarizes students’ field of study.^Note  The CIP is a three-tiered hierarchical arrangement of programs with successive levels of disaggregation. The first two-digit series is used to tabulate discontinuers’ most common fields of study. CIP Canada 2016 contains 49 series. See Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) for more information on the CIP.

References

Frank, K., & Jovic, E. (2017). National Apprenticeship Survey Canada Overview Report 2015. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

Jin, H., Langevin, M., Lebel, A., & Haan, M. (2020, December 9). Factors associated with completing apprenticeship training in Canada. Insights on Canadian Society.

Statistics Canada. (2018, December 5). Pathways and earnings indicators for registered apprentices in Canada. The Daily.

Statistics Canada. (2022a). Median employment income of journeypersons who certify in selected trades, two and five years after certification, cross-sectional analysis. Retrieved from Statistcs Canada: www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3710019401

Statistics Canada. (2022b). Characteristics and median employment income of postsecondary graduates two years after graduation, by educational qualification and field of study (primary groupings). Retrieved from Statistcs Canada: www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3710015601

Statistics Canada. (2022c). Certification, continuation and discontinuation rates of newly registered apprentices within program duration, 1.5 times program duration and 2 times program duration. Retrieved from Statistics Canada.

Appendix