In 2021, construction was designated as an essential sector and exempted from various public health measures in many provinces and territories, leading to increased or relatively stable apprenticeship certification rates in a few construction-related trades.
According to Statistics Canada’s Pathways indicators for registered apprentices in Canada, 2021, the annual change in certification rates was flat or positive in the construction-related trades.
Trades that saw increases include steamfitters/pipefitters (+9.7 percentage points), heavy-duty equipment technicians (+1.5 percentage points), roofers (+0.4 percentage points), crane operators (+0.2 percentage points). Carpenters dipped by -0.1 percentage points.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the lives of many Canadians, including apprentices. The closure of numerous worksites and educational institutions disrupted on-the-job hours and technical training, making it challenging to accumulate credits toward certification. As a result, many apprentices faced challenges completing their programs on time.
Before the pandemic, 21.8 per cent of apprentices completed their programs within the program duration. For those who finished their apprenticeships in 2021, this measure dropped to 18.4 per cent, underscoring the significant impact the pandemic has had on certifications in the trades.
Trades with higher concentrations of female apprentices were more affected by the pandemic (e.g., hairstylists and cooks) resulting in the overall certification rates for female apprentices declining more than those of male apprentices in 2021.
However, for some trades, certification rates for female apprentices saw smaller declines or even an increase compared with those of their male counterparts. The certification rate of female construction electricians had a small increase (+1.5 percentage points), whereas that of their male counterparts decreased (-2.0 percentage points).
In many trades, fewer apprentices certified or discontinued their training by the end of their program duration in 2021 compared with previous cohorts, and more apprentices were continuing their training. Whether this increased number of continuing apprentices is made up of those finishing their training with certificates or just postponing their discontinuation remains an important question to explore as more data become available.
