Accelerated Apprenticeship Pathway Consultations – Submission from the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)
Both of the models being promoted by the Ontario government for the accelerated apprenticeship pathway appear designed to weaken and degrade both the public education system and the skilled trades & apprenticeship system. There are two models being proposed:
“Model 1” encourages students to stop attending school to enter a full-time apprenticeship starting in grade 11—they would continue to be enrolled with the school board, and would receive high school credits (presumably delivered through their employer or JAC, and not delivered by teachers in their school board).
“Model 2” encourages students to drop out of high school to gain access to an apprenticeship after grade 10.
—From the perspective of your organization, what are the strengths and weaknesses of model 1? Which of these strengths should be included in the final model implemented?
There are no strengths to “model 1”.
When compared to “model 2”, it is better in that it keeps students enrolled in a school board and provides them with high school credits—however, these high school credits should be delivered through high school courses delivered by high school teachers in public high schools. In the most probable outcome—non-completion of the apprenticeship—this means that students will at least have a relatively simple course of action to pursue other pathways, unlike in “model 2”.
As with model 2, this is clearly a scheme to expand privatization in public education while also increasing employment precarity in the trades sector.
—From the perspective of your organization, what are the strengths and weaknesses of model 2? Which of these strengths should be included in the final model implemented?
There are no strengths to “model 2”.
Weaknesses:
- Entry requirements: 75% of trades require at least a high school diploma—arbitrarily reducing entry requirements does not change the complexity of the job. Sending unprepared people into apprenticeships poses an occupational safety risk and will degrade the quality of work being done. Additionally, this will lower productivity of job sites, as certified trades people will be required to dedicate more of their time to unprepared apprentices. In 2017 submission, the IBEW-CCO—in reference to entry requirements for the electrical trades—stated:
“The current ‘official’ admission standard for entry into the Construction and Maintenance Electrician trade is completion of grade 10. This is both misleading and detrimental to the image of the trade. As a practical matter, someone with only grade 10 would have considerable difficulty completing the in-school portion of their trades training. … Our JACs similarly require high school completion with grade 12 math, physics and English. In our view, an employer who sponsors an apprentice who has not completed high school is seeking a ‘helper’, not a real apprentice. That employer has no realistic expectation that the apprentice will complete his or her training. … … Step Number One to increasing completion rates is to raise the admission standard for the Construction and Maintenance Electrician trade to grade 12 completion, including grade 12 math, physics and English.”
- Removal from public education system: Successful vocational education systems do not prematurely remove young students from the education system. Public schools have an obligation to ensure that students leave school with the ability to lead successful lives and follow various pathways—employers on the other hand, have no such obligation. Under this proposed system, if somebody is terminated from their apprenticeship, they will not have earned any high school credits, or qualifications. This will place them potentially years behind their peers while significantly complicating any other educational pathways. Young people should have the right to access the resources and services provided by their local school boards.
For the most part, the completion rates for apprenticeships are abysmally low—in many cases, far below 50%. This is especially true in the case of non-unionized apprenticeships. Over the last 20 +/- years, the high school completion rate has increased from less than 70% to almost 90%. Encouraging students as young as 16 to drop out of high school to enter an apprenticeship that they most likely won’t complete will cause harm to those individual students while also erasing our province’s progress with high school graduation rates. In the case of “Model 1”, at least students will be earning high school credits and may have an alternative pathway to consider, but under this model, potentially thousands of students will be severely limited in the pathways to continue their education.
- Ratios: 1:1 journeyperson to apprentice ratio poses a risk to workplace safety, will harm the quality of training. It also incentivizes employers to flood jobsites with low-wage “apprentices”—which in turn enables them to lay off substantial numbers of journeypersons. The likelihood of an employer terminating an apprentice and replacing them with a 1st year apprentice will increase as apprentices move up the wage grid.
In British Columbia, a 1:1 ratio has been in place since 2003. A 2017 report by the B.C. Federation of Labour reported that the injury rate in the trades is 4x higher than the Canadian average. Since workplace injuries are highest among young workers, a dramatic increase in the number of teen-aged apprentices could potentially send Ontario’s rate of workplace injuries in the trades skyrocketing. With this in mind, as a side note, apprenticeship ratios should be rationally planned based on safety, training quality, future labour market needs, among other factors.
- Comprehensive education is a right and a necessity: The function of the public education system is not solely vocational. The UN Declaration of Human Rights states that “education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”. Encouraging students to drop out of school deprives them of access to many of the more in-depth, comprehensive courses that contribute to the “full development of the human personality”, especially in the humanities. The shift towards purely technical and vocational education runs against what the education system is supposed to be. In fact, in recent years, many countries have shifted to extending the period of compulsory education to the age of 18, something implemented in Ontario almost 20 years ago.
- Desirable careers: There is broad public support for expanding vocational education pathways, but if a goal in our society is to increase young workers’ participation in the trades and make it an attractive and desirable career choice, this isn’t one of those pathways. Reducing entry requirements, limiting the ability of tradespeople to provide quality training, and flooding the labour market with cheap (and unqualified) labour accomplishes the opposite. This will create an ill-prepared workforce that will struggle to produce quality work and also diminish the social perception of the trades. It sends a message that anybody can do a tradespersons job even if they are illiterate and unable to do math.
In many countries that have highly developed vocational education systems, the credentials earned by apprentices are equivalent to CAAT diplomas or even some university degrees, and often provide a direct pathway into other forms of postsecondary education. These vocational systems typically provide both a comprehensive education and vocational qualifications and are delivered through a combination of school-based and work-based learning. The earned qualifications don’t just allow for upward educational mobility, but they are also highly valued on their own.
- Telling kids to drop out of school is not a policy, it is dangerous and irresponsible. This proposal is specifically thought out to serve the interests of abusive and unscrupulous employers looking to cut corners in any way that they can, including by destroying young people’s educational opportunities.
—For both models, what supports would need to be in place to ensure that students’ needs related to mentoring and mental health are addressed?
The journeyperson to apprenticeship ratio should be adjusted so that there are significantly more journeypersons than there are apprentices, in order to ensure that students are being properly mentored, adequately trained, and that they remain safe on the jobsite.
Apprenticeship completion rates are substantially higher on unionized projects, while workplace injuries are substantially lower. Union membership should be statutory for all apprentices, and all apprenticeship training should be taking place on unionized jobsites.
Students should have access to all of the resources and services provided by the school boards as a full-time student would.
Publicly funded comprehensive mental health care is socially necessary, for apprentices, but also for everybody else.
—For both models, what would need to be in place to meet the needs of any students with special education needs and/or disabilities who may require accommodations?
Students should have access to all of the resources and services provided by the school boards as a full-time student would. This includes special educational services and supports, as well as supports for students with disabilities.
—For both models, what academic/on-the-job supports would students need?
Students should have full access to all of the resources and services provided by their school board as a full-time student would. Students should be required to take high school credit courses while physically attending school approximately half of the time and their apprenticeship the rest of the time.
—How do students need to be supported in grades 9 and 10 in order to make an informed decision regarding whether they wish to enrol in the accelerated apprenticeship pathway starting in Grade 11?
Students require more time, more education, and more personal growth in order to make an actually informed decision on entering an apprenticeship.
—How do students need to be supported in Grades 9 and 10 in order to be effectively prepared to begin an apprenticeship in Grade 11, if they choose this program?
Students require more time, more education, and more personal growth in order to be effectively prepared to begin an apprenticeship.
—For model 1, what supports would be required from the school board to ensure that students successfully acquire credits during the apprenticeship?
Students should be required to take high school credit courses while physically attending school approximately half of the time and their apprenticeship the rest of the time.
—For model 1, what supports from the school board would be most effective in ensuring that students continue to engage with their learning?
Students should have full access to all of the resources and services provided by their school board as a full-time student would. Students should be required to take high school credit courses while physically attending school approximately half of the time and their apprenticeship the rest of the time.
—Do you have any other considerations or concerns about model 1? Are there specific additions or changes required?
Currently existing apprenticeship programs like OYAP should be expanded and promoted. There is no need for a new program.
—For model 2, what supports would be required to ensure student success in this program? Where would you seek these supports?
Model 2 is such a terrible idea that it is completely unworthy of any consideration. It is clearly a scheme to expand privatization in public education while also increasing employment precarity in the trades sector.
—Do you have any other considerations or concerns for model 2? Are there specific additions or changes required?
Model 2 is such a terrible idea that it is completely unworthy of any consideration. It is clearly a scheme to expand privatization in public education while also increasing employment precarity in the trades sector.
—Would model 1 or 2 be your preferred model for implementation of the Acclerated Apprenticeship Pathway?
While neither of these models are desirable, model 1 is somewhat less worse. Ideally, pre-existing programs like OYAP should be expanded and promoted, while trades-adjacent courses & curriculum should have significantly more resources and scope.
—Why is the model you chose in the previous question your preferred option?
Model 1 is likely to inflict less harm on students by keeping them enrolled in a school board and providing them with high school credits.
