RESULTS REPORT 2016 - CAF-FCA2 Results Report 2016 ABOUT CAF-FCA The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) is a national non-profit organization

RESULTS REPORT 2016

www.caf-fca.org

2 Results Report 2016

ABOUT CAF-FCAThe Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) is a national non-profit organization built on the collaboration of employers, unions, educators, jurisdictional apprenticeship authorities and equity groups. We conduct apprenticeship-focused research, connect stakeholders, highlight best practices and promote apprenticeship as a valued post-secondary pathway.

STAFF LIST Sarah Watts-Rynard Executive Director

Emily Arrowsmith Researcher/Project Manager

Lauren Boucher Administrative Assistant

Racean DiBartolo Outreach Coordinator

Amin Rawjani Finance Manager

Shawn Watson Communications Manager

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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDespite the drop in oil prices and, in some parts of the country, somewhat less intense pressure on skilled trades labour, virtually every sector survey continues to report difficulties when it comes to filling positions for skilled tradespeople. While economic cycles are a reality, so is Canada’s need for people who can build, install, maintain and service. Over the past year, CAF-FCA has been working to keep a spotlight on apprenticeship training as the primary way to develop the next generation of skilled tradespeople. Beyond the insights on apprenticeship challenges CAF-FCA is known for, we continue to find new ways to support employers interested in hiring, training and retaining apprentices. This includes telling students, parents and educators about careers in the skilled trades. It includes engaging the apprenticeship community in a conversation about the issues we need to address to make apprenticeship workable for businesses of all sizes. It means developing and sharing just-in-time resources to give employers a handle on training their own tradespeople. In 2016, our approach has focused on gathering insights from apprenticeship champions who know there is a substantial return on their training investment and sharing their strategies with many other skilled trades employers who aren’t yet participating. We built a new interactive session into our national conference in Vancouver, tapping into the community’s collective intelligence on eight “big issues” in apprenticeship training. Over the next year, we will develop reports on these subjects, drawing on the solutions and ideas provided so generously by conference delegates. We have also embarked on an ambitious new project to collect insights directly from apprentices, giving us an unprecedented view into the apprentice experience. We are now working to recruit thousands of apprentices in all trades and in all parts of the country, with the hope that we will soon be able to deliver a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and barriers apprentices encounter on their journey to certification. I invite you to learn more at www.apprenticesincanada.com.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Watts-Rynard


STRATEGIC PLAN 2014-2017

APPRENTICESHIP INSIGHTS As part of its research mandate, CAF-FCA provides the apprenticeship community with insights that assist stakeholders developing and delivering apprenticeship policies and programs. CAF-FCA is a hub for apprenticeship information, facilitating collaboration across trades, across sectors and across Canada. We track current and emerging trends, then share information on subjects like apprenticeship harmonization, new approaches to technical training and the apprentice experience within our systems.

AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENTTo increase awareness and engagement, we develop targeted resources for non-participating audiences – youth, parents, educators and skilled trades employers who are not actively training apprentices. We undertake broad dissemination of content designed to promote the benefits of and encourage participation in apprenticeship training. CAF-FCA uses its website, social media, events and presentations to reach these audiences

CONNECTIONS AND BEST PRACTICESFacilitating connections among apprenticeship stakeholders ensures the community is well-positioned to share promising practices and collaborate on solutions to common challenges. The apprenticeship community benefits from networking opportunities, both in person and online. In addition to its national conference, CAF-FCA publishes regular newsletters, hosts webinars and organizes regional events.

ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITYIn June 2012, CAF-FCA introduced paid membership as a way to sustain operations and engage a multiplicity of voices that support apprenticeship training. Members are integral to the organization’s capacity to identify emerging challenges and new opportunities to improve apprenticeship training. They also elect the Board of Directors, ensuring strategic directions and priorities are tied to the interests of members themselves. Members now include a broad range of stakeholders from every region of Canada, including employers, labour groups, governments, educational institutions, associations, equity groups and tradespeople.

Members and the broader apprenticeship community are active participants in our research activities and at events, illustrating a commitment to making apprenticeship work for employers and apprentices. Their insights and expertise have helped formulate priorities and identify ways CAF-FCA can best support a national discussion about apprenticeship training.

As we enter the final year of our current Strategic Plan, we embrace the organization’s role as a catalyst for communicating a shared vision for apprenticeship in Canada. Over the last year, we’ve continued to work in four main strategic areas:

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2015-16 CAF-FCA BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe Board of Directors is a strategic body that translates priorities identified by the membership into organizational goals and objectives. Directors consider a broad range of stakeholder input, establish strategic objectives, approve annual business plans and monitor results/impact of the organization’s activities. Many thanks go out to the dedicated Directors who served the Canadian apprenticeship community in the past year.

Kim AndreasPast-president

Canadian Council of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology

Pat BlackwoodChair, Ontario College of Trades

Ontario

David CameronLearning & Development Team Leader

ArcelorMittal Dofasco

Randy CallaghanWorkforce Supervisor

PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.

Luigi CarrozziBusiness Manager

Labourers’ International Union of North America, Local 527

Dave CassidyChair, National Skilled Trades Council

Unifor

Gerald ClarkSenior Human Resources Manager

Clark Builders

Cordell ColeInternational Representative

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Malcolm HainesDean, School of Trades

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

Gary HermanCEO, Industry Training Authority

British Columbia

Albert HilleManager, Training & Development

Seaspan ULC

Raymond MasseyChair, Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board

Alberta

Lionel RailtonCanadian Regional Director

International Union of Operating Engineers

Stephen SpeersChair, Trades and Apprenticeship

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Melissa YoungRegional Coordinator, Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project

New Brunswick

“CAF-FCA is an outstanding organization that we promote regularly with our contractor members across Canada. [Progressive Contractors Association] is proud to support CAF-FCA and work with you whenever possible on the important work of promoting and improving the Canadian apprenticeship systems.”

Keri Miller, Progressive Contractors Association of Canada


ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTSCAF-FCA members provide rich insights into current and emerging issues related to apprenticeship training. Our job is to analyze subjects the apprenticeship community is talking about – from the mobility of apprentices to completion to career awareness. Over the past year, we’ve spoken to more than 3,000 apprenticeship stakeholders, combining their insights with statistics and data to create a rich understanding of challenges and opportunities in Canada’s apprenticeship systems.

“CAF-FCA’s terrific roundtable discussions and information sharing opportunities have been essential to my policy work– thanks so much for making my job easier!”

Shari Golberg, Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development

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APPRENTICESHIP INSIGHTSThis year, CAF-FCA started work to connect ten federally-funded pilots intended to test new approaches to technical training. Apprentices report a number of common barriers to block-release training, including financial hardship, inaccessibility in rural and remote locations, inconvenient scheduling and few training opportunities in low-volume trades. The Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship Technical Training initiative is funding technical trainers to experiment with online learning, upfront training, mobile labs and simulator training. We look forward to sharing the results of these pilots over the next two years. Three ongoing projects are focused on supporting the development of a more diverse skilled trades workforce:

1. In partnership with employer champions and Aboriginal groups, events and resources have focused on best practices for recruiting and retaining Indigenous apprentices. Tips from employers who have successfully partnered with Aboriginal communities are being shared.

2. We have expanded on the business case for hiring and training women in the trades, pulling together strategies for creating more welcoming workplaces. A one-stop window for employers and apprentices has been created online to support these efforts and

we anticipate expanding the Skilled Trades Network to also include resources for a broader group of apprentices.

3. CAF-FCA produced seven webinars for pre-arrival immigrants to share information about skilled trades careers in Canada, as well as educational and documentation requirements. Building on their feedback, CAF-FCA is developing resources to better support newcomer transitions to the Canadian labour market.

As part of a project funded by the European Union, CAF-FCA is sharing Canadian approaches that facilitate the participation of small- and medium-sized employers in apprenticeship training. Canadian examples will act as a blueprint for pilot programs in Bulgaria, Poland and the United Kingdom. We also launched a new initiative to better understand the apprentice experience. Apprentices and early-career journeypersons across the country and in every sector are being asked to join a new online panel that will answer a few surveys a year at www.apprenticesincanada.com. We look forward to sharing results to assist the apprenticeship community in efforts to develop targeted programs and supports.

“[The Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology] congratulates CAF-FCA on the production of Apprenticeship Analysis: Women and Apprenticeship in Canada. The report is a comprehensive summary of years of research and activities focusing on women in skilled trades and apprenticeship. It’s one of a kind in Canada! The analysis of how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go is very helpful as we look to the future.”

Kim Andreas, CCWESTT


Apprenticeship in Canada: Apprenticeship Data, Trends and Observations 2016

This report summarizes research findings focusing on themes like registration and completion trends, employer hiring practices, apprentice mobility, essential skills and journeyperson career pathways.

Apprentice Mobility in Canada

Half of skilled trades employers and 75 per cent of apprentices experience barriers to labour mobility. This report documents first-hand insights from employers who hired and apprentices who moved from another part of the country. Both spoke about difficulties having prior experience and training hours recognized, underlining the importance of current efforts to harmonize trades training across the country.

FEATURED RESOURCES Combining academic research with insights from the apprenticeship community, CAF-FCA creates reports and resources to help address identified challenges. An extensive catalogue of downloadable reports is available at www.caf-fca.org. Here are a few examples from the past year.

Understanding Apprenticeship Requirements and Workplace Qualifications

This report contains insights into the impact of apprenticeship on the labour market by linking employer hiring preferences and apprenticeship registrations/completions with qualifications-based labour market information.

Hiring and Retaining Aboriginal Apprentices – An Action Plan for Employers

Across the country, savvy employers are building strategic partnerships with Aboriginal communities and integrating Indigenous apprentices into their skilled trades workforces. This guide shares insider experiences, tips and strategies.

“This was the first CAF-FCA conference I attended and I enjoyed it very much. Found it very informative, the booths were excellent and folks were very friendly and informative. Very well organized.”

Lynne Harder, Construction Labour Relations Alberta

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AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT

CAF-FCA seeks to engage non-participating audiences, such as students, parents, educators, employers and media by providing more and better information about apprenticeship training. Engaging those audiences includes collecting their views, interests and concerns, and responding with accurate, relevant messages through audience-appropriate channels. As a voice on apprenticeship training at the national level, CAF-FCA responds to numerous requests for presentations, media interviews, editorial content and opinion pieces each year. Over the past twelve months, CAF-FCA has continued to enrich content on its Careers in Trades website, adding trade descriptions and video content to engage students. We have also ensured that youth can access this information using their mobile devices, responding to the way young people explore the Internet. In the past year careersintrades.ca has logged 64,171 sessions. Over the next year, parent and educator resources will be updated and improved. We will also add more information on pathways to trade careers, building more confidence among career influencers that students with an interest in the skilled trades careers will be able to connect with job opportunities.

The use of webinars as a way to share information with non-participating audiences is proving impactful. Webinars targeting newcomers to Canada, educators, parents and skilled trades employers have been well-attended. For those otherwise unlikely to attend an in-person event, this can be an effective way to share timely information and answer questions. Among the reports and other resources developed in the last year, these contribute interesting insights for non-participating audiences:

• Report: Employer Hiring Preferences in the Skilled Trades

• Report: The Benefits of a Skilled Trades Career: Journeyperson Perspectives & Experiences

• Business Case: Hiring and Training Women in the Skilled Trades

• Webinar Series: Skilled Trades in Canada (for pre-arrival immigrants)

“The conference was a great networking opportunity. I met with all of the key people I have been wanting to meet and expect that we will have fruitful interactions in the near future.”

Shaun Barr, Algonquin College


CONNECTIONS AND BEST PRACTICESApprenticeship stakeholders tell us they value opportunities to meet, discuss common challenges and share best practices. In 2016, CAF-FCA organized seven regional roundtables in addition to its national apprenticeship conference in Vancouver, BC. In all, more than 1,100 people attended CAF-FCA events in 2016, with another 359 participating in webinars. As at previous conferences, Apprenticeship: Hands on the Future was a great opportunity to showcase promising practices, initiatives and research underway in every part of the apprenticeship community. Panels focused on the need for ever more responsive technical training, innovative programs underway in British Columbia and an initiative to engage more women in the electrical sector. Concurrent sessions addressed topics like harmonization, industry efforts to engage youth and programs designed for under-represented groups. Speakers and delegates came from every corner of the country to learn, share and network. Realizing that not everyone is able to attend in-person events, CAF-FCA continues to look for ways to keep apprenticeship stakeholders engaged and inspired by what’s going on across the country. More than 7,500 apprenticeship stakeholders receive CAF-FCA newsletters or follow us on social media, ensuring they know about new research, upcoming events and webinars, and news from across the country.

Visit CAF-FCA’s YouTube channel for recordings of webinars you may have missed:

• Best Practices for Youth Engagement

• Learn About the CAF-FCA Apprentice ePanel

• Advancing Women in the Skilled Trades

• Best Practices for Hiring and Retaining Aboriginal Apprentices

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ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

Members help the CAF-FCA Board of Directors set strategic goals and priorities by responding to an annual member survey and participating on committees focused on Research and Outreach. They also provide guidance and input on project working groups, at events and by actively responding to research surveys and interviews. Members keep our eye on the horizon, able to identify emerging challenges and connected to regional initiatives that hold promise for national implementation. Over the next year, the Board of Directors will be sorting through the input gathered from all sources to develop a new Strategic Plan for the organization. CAF-FCA continues to look for ways to attract additional voices and views to our membership community. The broader the contributions to CAF-FCA’s work, the more likely that resources, reports and events will be robust and responsive. As the library of member-only reports and resources grows, so too does the value proposition for new members. Over the next year, as we start to gather insights from the Apprentices in Canada ePanel, we anticipate that members will benefits from insights to which others do not have access.

In case you missed them, here are a few member resources that have created a buzz over the last year:

Report: Women and Apprenticeship in Canada

Roundtable Discussion Summaries:

• Youth Apprenticeship Across Canada

• Achieving Certification: Helping Apprentices Cross the Finish Line

• Apprentice Mobility in Canada

Guide: Tax Credits and Grants for employers, apprentices, journeypersons and trade qualifiers in Canada

Apprenticeship: An Employer Handbook

caf-fca.org404-2197 Riverside DriveOttawa, ON K1H 7X3(t) 613-235-4004(f) 613-235-7117

Email: [email protected]

RESULTS REPORT 2016 - CAF-FCA2 Results Report 2016 ABOUT CAF-FCA The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) is a national non-profit organization

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