Apprenticeship regulations are too tight and must be reformed in order to meet demand for skilled workers, according to a C.D. Howe Institute report released this morning.
In the report, authors Robbie Brydon and Benjamin Dachis state that many employers report shortages of workers in skilled trades, such as electricians and welders, and changing the requirements is necessary to help meet demand.
“While federal and provincial governments have targeted many grant and tax credit programs to encourage workers to become apprentices, myriad provincial regulations limit how many apprentices firms may hire,” said Dachis. “This red tape is stymieing program efforts and limiting apprenticeship opportunities.
“The effect is to reduce the number of people who work in a trade.”
The provinces regulate many aspects of apprenticeships, including:
- whether workers must complete apprenticeships to work in certain occupations;
- the length of apprenticeship terms; and
- the journeyperson-apprenticeship ratio, which dictates the number of apprentices relative to the number of certified workers in any given company.
The authors argue that instead of imposing apprentice entry restrictions, the government should focus on regulating work quality and safety standards.
