Forum seeks apprentices to share experiences, feedback as part of national panel
Attention all apprentices — here’s your chance to have a voice, share your opinions and make a difference. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is looking for apprentices to join their online ePanel — 2,300 apprentices from across the country — to offer up their experiences and challenges, share what’s working for them, and be better understood. The Apprentices in Canada ePanel is an online survey mechanism that allows the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum to gather timely, up-to-date information directly from the apprentice community on pertinent, big-picture issues and follow through with appropriate action, outreach and solutions. “Joining the ePanel gives apprentices a voice to tell us about their experience so we can help smooth out the bumps they encounter on their apprenticeship journey. They are helping make the apprenticeship system better for others following them,” says Sarah Watts-Rynard, Executive Director at the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, a non-profit organization that promotes apprenticeship training and conducts national apprenticeship research. The ePanel offers important, real-time insight into the apprenticeship system and the issues as they’re being experienced, not after the fact. “We want a sense of what’s going on with apprentices, so our sampling plan reflects a desire to be representative at a national level,” says Watts-Rynard, of apprenticesincanada. com. “We don’t want to guess; we’re trying to identify the challenges, barriers, benefits and aspirations across sectors, across trades and across the country. We are sharing their insights with the broader apprenticeship community — the people who are developing programs, policies and resources designed to help apprentices be successful.” There are a multitude of challenges apprentices may come up against, including attaining consistent and full-time employment, the quality of workplace training, and the financial insecurity while attending technical training. Tradespeople make a vital contribution to the economy and infrastructure yet, unlike other post-secondary pathways, support and resources are sorely lacking. Research indicates that nearly half of all apprentices do not finish their training. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum wants to know why apprentices are leaving and what supports the apprenticeship community can offer to encourage them to stay. Retaining apprentices is critical: As tradespeople continue to retire, the skills and talent of those in apprenticeships are essential to Canada’s future productivity and growth. “Nothing gets built, nothing gets repaired, nothing gets maintained if you don’t have tradespeople to do it,” says Watts-Rynard, adding that apprentices fulfil an absolutely critical role in the economy in construction, manufacturing, service and transportation sectors. The Forum is committed to letting apprentices know that they are valued by identifying, supporting and informing apprenticeship regulators, learning institutions and industry about the challenges. “We don’t want apprentices to fall off because they hit some barrier and didn’t know where to turn for a solution,” she says. “The ePanel is an important part of letting apprentices know that the community cares about the issues they’re facing and wants to help resolve them.” Joining the ePanel is a great way to give back: “Apprenticeship itself requires goodwill on the part of the people who are hiring and training you, creating a give-back mentality. The ePanel provides apprentices with an opportunity to share their experiences to make the system better for those coming up behind them,” she says. “We’re also finding that apprentices appreciate that someone wants their input,” adds Watts-Rynard, adding that every time apprentices complete a survey, there is a chance to win $500. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is looking for individuals working in trades occupations such as electricians, automotive service technicians, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, carpenters, welders, hairstylists, cooks, heavy-duty equipment mechanics and heavy equipment and crane operators. “We are interested in registered apprentices who are working in trades occupations or early-career journeypersons who have been certified for five years or less.”
To learn more, go to apprenticesincanada.com and press the ‘Join Now’ button. Once there, apprentices will be asked to participate in a one-time screener survey, then two to three additional surveys each year. Each survey takes an average of 10 minutes to complete, and participants can decline any survey if the topic doesn’t apply to them or interest them. All feedback provided by apprentices remains confidential. Apprentices have the option to become members of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum to be heard, be engaged, and be involved in enhancing the apprenticeship system. The effects of barriers and silence are broad and far-reaching, and feedback is critical to building the future and a better overall apprenticeship experience.
Joining the ePanel gives apprentices a voice to [share] their experience so we can help smooth out the bumps they encounter on their apprenticeship journey.”