{"id":19217,"date":"2023-07-07T01:11:41","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T08:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/advocacy-report-knocks-ontarios-early-apprenticeship-plan\/"},"modified":"2023-07-07T01:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T08:11:42","slug":"advocacy-report-knocks-ontarios-early-apprenticeship-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/advocacy-report-knocks-ontarios-early-apprenticeship-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocacy report knocks Ontario\u2019s early apprenticeship plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Ontario government\u2019s plan to bolster the skilled trades by introducing a new pathway to a high school diploma for students who have entered apprenticeships after their Grade 10 year has been criticized by advocacy group People for Education as potentially leading to dead-end careers for those who don\u2019t complete their apprenticeships.<\/p>\n

A People for Education report, called Risky Business: Choosing Between School and Apprenticeships May Have Unintended Consequences<\/a>, was itself slammed by some construction stakeholders who suggested the advocates don\u2019t understand the growth that takes place during the apprenticeship cycle.<\/p>\n

Others said the People for Education report raised important issues and suggested not enough details about the government proposal are known.<\/p>\n

They believe government consultations planned for the fall will be a welcome opportunity to discuss the ramifications of students leaving high school as young as 16 to pursue the skilled trades.<\/p>\n

The report was released June 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at the rates of apprenticeship completion, they\u2019re not great. There\u2019s actually very, very low,\u201d said Robin Liu Hopson, director of policy and research for People for Education. \u201cSo you\u2019re just kind of accelerating them into this program that doesn\u2019t have very great completion rates.\u201d<\/p>\n

The government made the announcement March 8 and plans to allow students in Grade 11 to transition to a full-time skilled trades apprenticeship program and upon receiving their Certificate of Apprenticeship (C of A), they can apply for their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The government said it will begin consultations in fall 2023 with multiple stakeholders about \u201cways to make it even easier for young people to enter a career in the trades. This includes the potential of lowering entry requirements for some of the 106 skilled trades that currently require a Grade 12-level education.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plan \u201cappears to prioritize filling labour shortages in the short term over the long-term benefits of educational attainment,\u201d stated the People for Education report.<\/p>\n

The report cited data from Statistics Canada that\u00a0indicated completion rates\u00a0of apprenticeship programs are typically low in Canada, with only 36 per cent obtaining their certificate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis new proposal by the government may leave a higher number of young people at a dead end with no apprenticeship certificate, high school diploma or a way to get back into formal education,\u201d the report charged.<\/p>\n

Giovanni Cautillo, president of the Ontario General Contractors Association, reiterated his support for the government\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MOL has recognized there is more than one avenue to obtain knowledge and the construction industry applauds their efforts at thinking beyond the traditional,\u201d said Cautillo.<\/p>\n

He added if People for Education believes students will miss out on the \u201cknowledge, skills and competencies\u2026fostered through broader learning opportunities and engagement in the school community,\u201d as its report stated, \u201cthen not a one of them has ever set foot on a construction site.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople in construction are continually learning and happy to impart their knowledge onto apprentices that are viewed as vital and welcomed onsite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephen Crombie, chair of the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance, noted the Ontario government is not \u201creinventing the wheel,\u201d citing successes in the eastern United States and Germany.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program is creating a conduit for young people to enter the trades earlier, but of course it has to be done in a way that that really does have the best interest of students at the forefront,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Skills Ontario CEO Ian Howcroft also cited the European model. Currently the average age of an apprentice in Canada is 28, he noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople entering the apprenticeship at an earlier age increases the likelihood they will complete the apprenticeship before taking on other commitments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Crombie, LIUNA\u00a0director of marketing Victoria Mancinelli, and Wade Richardson, chair of the Ontario Council for\u00a0Technology Education, all said they wanted to see more details.<\/p>\n

Richardson, who administers the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program\u00a0(OYAP) for the Halton District School Board, noted the proposed program could benefit some Grade 10 students who would languish during two extra years in a high school classroom, but for others it might encourage them to leave school early with no certainty of a good long-term career outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe devil is in the details when it comes out,\u201d said Richardson. \u201cFor some students it will be good. But for the majority of students, they should not be doing this, leaving high school before they get their diploma. There\u2019s a lot of concerns whether the students would actually get their high school diploma once they leave after Grade 10.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the recommendations contained in the People for Education report, the province was urged to strengthen existing programs such as OYAP, the Specialist High Skills Major program, co-operative education and dual-credit opportunities.<\/p>\n

Why is the government \u201cintroducing a new, potentially standalone strategy disconnected from schools?\u201d the report asked.<\/p>\n

The Carpenters\u2019 Regional Council issued a statement praising OYAP and other pathways, saying it supports students obtaining a well-rounded high school education with early exposure to the skilled trades, while acknowledging \u201cthis new program to help more students enter the skilled trades faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephen Hamilton, Ontario director of public affairs with the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada, said he does not believe the government intends to put Grade 11 students \u201con the road for two years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apprenticeships are confusing pathways, he said, and more supports are called for.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere needs to be kind of a concierge attitude towards ensuring students, if they do choose this path, and that would be the minority of students certainly, that there are supports for them along the way,\u201d said Hamilton.<\/p>\n

Ian Cunningham, president of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations, also remarked on the merits of enhanced transitional programs for the young workers who may not have the maturity to enter directly into an apprenticeship program. He said the government\u2019s plan is \u201cdirectionally sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an email, a Ministry of Labour spokesperson stated, \u201cThe ministry welcomes all viewpoints and constructive discussion. In the coming months, we will be consulting extensively with parents, students, employers, unions, education stakeholders and others about ways to make it even easier for young people to enter rewarding careers in the trades.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow the author on Twitter @DonWall_DCN<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n