Provinces hamper skilled trades mobility

Labour experts often describe today’s workers as much more “mobile” than ever. Yet, when it comes to skilled trades, immobility seems to be the dominant trend. While a certified journeyman (someone who has finished an apprenticeship) qualifies to work across provincial boundaries, apprentices (those still in training) can’t move between jurisdictions as easily.

As it stands today, apprentices who want to (or have to) relocate are burdened with doing an onerous amount of legwork and paperwork to have their credentials assessed. That doesn’t always work out so well, and in some scenarios third- or fourth-year apprentices could be bumped back to first-year status — all for want of a specific course or training that wasn’t part of their original curriculums.

Not only can apprentices be stopped in their tracks, jurisdictional differences can also hamper industries’ efforts to grow the ranks of their skilled trades. This is becoming especially critical as the retirement boom takes more skilled journeymen out of the productivity picture.

Andy Cleven, training director at the Electrical Joint Training Committee in Port Coquitlam, B.C., says the obstacles preventing apprentices from moving from province to province must be removed soon. “Everyone is talking about the looming shortage and people retiring. It’s here now, and we need to build some numbers,” he says.

Larry Slaney, director of Canadian training for the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fit- ting Industry, says the skills crisis is self-inflicted since policies won’t allow apprentices to cross jurisdictional boundaries easily.

“This is how it works. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada [HRSDC] sets guidelines for apprenticeship and skills development for the National Occupational Analysis [NOA]. The provinces, however, are responsible for their own training and development, and there are a lot of variations in how those are delivered.”

This has created a hodgepodge of [apprenticeship training requirements] from coast to coast, Mr. Cleven agrees. “Although apprenticeships are meant to meet a national standard, that’s not easy with 13 jurisdictions developing different plans for the same trade. Imagine how messed up it can become.”

The whole process is de-motivating at best, leading to lower com- pletion rates, and ultimately, fewer qualified candidates for industries desperate to build their skilled trade ranks. “The bottom line is, there’s a lot of bureaucracy, time and effort involved; and that stops everything from happening,” Mr. Slaney says.

Even without the jurisdictional roadblocks, apprenticeship training is far from an easy undertaking. Depending on the profession, an apprenticeship can take up to five years, and demand thousands of hours of combined training and class time. Only then can apprentices apply for Red Seal certification, which allows them to work in any province.

Training schedules are as varied as the time requirements. Some provinces mandate school work be finished from the outset; others require the work be started first, with the in-class training taken in stages between rounds of on-the-job train- ing. In Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, depending on the trade in question, apprentices may be required to go to trade school before working on a job site. In Ontario, they may have to work first, then go to school.

An interesting point of reference for the patchwork of requirements is HRSDC’s Ellis Chart, a document that outlines apprenticeship criteria by province. The striking part of it is how much requirements can vary — by hundreds of hours, even years in some cases — depending on the profession.

Alberta stands apart in its efforts to accept out-of-province credits at face value. Ten years ago it began working with Newfoundland and Labrador to harmonize programs, says Bill Wilson, director of education for Edmonton Pipe Trades Education Trust in Edmonton. “Both reached out 10 years ago to ensure credentials would be recognized in Alberta.”

Sorcha Thomas, a spokesperson with Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education in Edmonton, says Alberta has had long-standing agreements with other provinces and territories to accept apprentices “at the same level as they left off ”.

In other words, an electrical apprentice who has completed two years of training in Ontario will be accepted as a third-year apprentice in Alberta provided he or she works on filling any training gaps and gets up to speed.

“We have a large demand for skilled workers, so it’s important we do what we can to make the transition as seamless as possible for apprentices looking for opportunities here,” says Ms. Thomas. “Labour mobility is very important.”

Mr. Cleven reports agreements are also being forged in the Atlantic Canadian provinces encompassing about 15 trades. Other than that, “everyone is in a different place.”

When asked about progress in harmonization for apprenticeship programs, Eric Morrisette, an HRSDC spokesman, replied via email that in Economic Action Plan 2013, the federal government announced new measures to reduce barriers to accreditation in the skilled trades in Canada. Part of that mandate is working with provinces and territories to harmonize requirements for apprentices. “This will ensure more apprentices complete their training and encourage mobility across the country.”

The most at-risk in all this are apprentices who are midway through their programs, says Shaun Thorson, chief executive for Skills/Compétences Canada in Ottawa. He contends it would be more beneficial for apprentices and industry alike to consider harmonization within the first two years of apprenticeships to establish a consistent baseline. “Then you can move into more specialized requirements that may be specific to an industry or province in the third and fourth years.”

This could also be a boon for employers trying to attract quality people, Mr. Thorson adds. “Apprentices outside the jurisdiction might be interested, but they won’t leave where they are if it means going back to zero.”

In the meantime, organizations such as the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario are constantly responding to inquiries from apprentices about how they can move to other jurisdictions. “It can get as complicated as an internationally trained individual going through hoops to get settled in their own trade,” says Susan Boorman, the Association’s manager of human resources.

While she often advises apprentices that the best approach might just be to stay where they are until they get their journeyman status, she admits that doesn’t help an anxious employer in Alberta running short of local talent.

“Right now, when it comes to assessing apprenticeships, we’re comparing apples to oranges,” Mr. Cleven notes. “And it hasn’t been getting any better in the 10 years I’ve been doing this job.”

For Mr. Slaney it’s been longer. “I think that all apprentices have a struggle wherever they go. My experience was the same 30 years when I first started at this.”