Apprentices Benefit Employers In B.C.: Study

A new study on the economic value of apprenticeships as the province looks to get more people into the trades.

“Building a stronger B.C. means supporting the people who build our province,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

“This research shows how essential apprentices are to address the skills gap. This study demonstrates the value apprentices bring to employers and our economy and helps inform employers looking to attract and retain more apprentices to meet our labour needs.”

The study was funded by the B.C. government and Canadian Apprenticeship Forum.

The trades sector spans numerous industries of B.C.’s economy, such as construction, manufacturing, mining, forestry, mineral, and resource extraction, automotive, marine and shipbuilding services, aerospace, and tourism and hospitality.

This study was commissioned to help better understand if employer participation in apprenticeship training represents a return on investment to employers. While the end result differs by trade, the province says there was a positive return in most trades for employers who invest in apprenticeship training, and the investment increases in each year of the apprenticeship.

For every dollar invested in apprenticeship training, the province says employers received an average positive return of 36 cents. That ranged from an average positive return of 35 cents for construction trades to 43 cents for industrial trades.

The report also identified strategies for encouraging higher levels of participation in apprenticeship training among employers to ensure skills and training needs of current and future labour markets can be met.

The findings are based on information provided by 533 employers across British Columbia who employed one or more apprentices in 2022.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.