The latest labour market report from the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) reveals that demand for apprentices will remain high in coming years, driven by journeypersons leaving the market.
The report, Apprentice Demand in Red Seal Trades, looks at apprenticeship trends and projections to assess future demand and supply for trade certification. It predicts that from 2021 to 2025 Canada will require “an estimated 163,785 new journeypersons to sustain workforce certification levels across 56 Red Seal trades,” and “375,026 apprentices to meet the anticipated demand.”
The report also notes that supply may be limited in the short term due to fewer new registrations during the pandemic.
“Offering meaningful training opportunities to apprentices and helping them complete is vital to meeting the anticipated demand,” says France Daviault, executive director of CAF-FCA. “By encouraging employers to hire apprentices and apply training best practices, we can ensure the skilled trades workforce is ready to fill the gaps created by retiring journeypersons.”
Demand for apprentices varies by region, and target estimates include: Alberta, 75,467; Atlantic Canada, 23,966; British Columbia, 83,277; Manitoba, 13,914; Ontario, 148,988; Quebec, 21,254; and Saskatchewan, 8,160. The trades with the highest demand nationally are boilermaker, bricklayer, industrial mechanic (millwright) and welder.
The full report, as well as regional reports, is available at CAF-FCA.