Apprentices bring value from classroom to job site
February 19, 2022
British Columbians and employers will learn the economic value of apprenticeships, thanks to a study funded by the B.C. government and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum Canadien sur l’Apprentissage (CAF-FCA).
“The skilled trades are at the centre of our COVID-19 recovery and building a stronger B.C. means supporting the people who build up our province,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training. “As the demand for skilled trades workers grows, apprentices will be a vital part of filling the gap. Through research and collaboration, we’re working to demonstrate the value apprentices bring to employers and the provincial economy.”
The CAF-FCA is a non-profit organization that connects Canada’s apprenticeship community. The membership represents stakeholders in the trades sector, including employers and employer associations, unions, equity-seeking groups and educational institutions across Canada.
In 2006 and 2009, CAF-FCA conducted two national studies to calculate the economic return on training investment for employers who hired apprentices. In 2006, using a cost-benefit model, CAF-FCA found that for every dollar spent on apprenticeship training, an employer receives an average benefit of $1.38. When the study was repeated in 2009, the return had increased to $1.47.
While the net benefit to employers when hiring apprentices differs by trade, the results showed that in the majority of trades there is a positive return for those employers that invest in apprenticeship training, and the net benefit increases in each year of the apprenticeship.
Source: BC Government
