RESCON: Training programs fall short as demand for skilled labour grows

Despite decades of funding and strong demand for skilled labour, Canada’s apprenticeship system is not producing enough certified workers.

Published Sep 11, 2026  •  Last updated 10 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Long hours, classroom requirements, paperwork and financial pressures can all feel more significant in the moment than the benefits that may arrive years later. The result is predictable: some apprentices drop out before reaching certification.

To build the houses of the future – and the critical infrastructure like roads and water systems to support them – we must have a competent and ample supply of skilled construction workers.

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However, the latest evidence in a report commissioned by RESCON suggests we are falling well short of goals. It is something that deserves the attention of policymakers across the country.

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The report, Are We Ready to Build Canada? A Behavioural Analysis of Canada’s Construction Talent Pipeline and Skills Training Policy, reaches a troubling conclusion: despite decades of funding and strong demand for skilled labour, Canada’s apprenticeship system is not producing enough certified workers.

According the report Are We Ready to Build Canada, Canada’s apprenticeship system is not producing enough certified workers.

More importantly, the report suggests that the problem is likely to worsen unless governments rethink how training programs are designed.

Let me explain.

For years, governments have responded to labour shortages with a familiar playbook. More training programs. More subsidies. More grants. More awareness campaigns.

While those investments are important, the results have been disappointing. Apprenticeship completion rates in Canada have remained stuck at roughly 20 per cent of registrations since 2013, despite billions of dollars in public investment and persistent demand for workers.

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That statistic should be setting off alarm bells because it shows that Canada does not simply have a recruitment problem; it also has a completion problem.

The difference matters. Registering an apprentice and producing a certified journeyperson are not the same thing. The success of housing strategies, infrastructure plans and economic growth initiatives depends not on how many people start training, but on how many actually finish.

Authors of the report, Nathaniel Barr, Michael McNamara and James K. Stewart, argue that the apprenticeship challenge is not primarily an economic issue. Rather, it is a behavioural one.

For the most part, training policy has largely assumed that people behave as rational actors. The theory is simple: if governments provide information, financial assistance and access to programs, participants will complete their training. But human beings don’t always behave that way.

People procrastinate. They become overwhelmed by choices. They doubt themselves. They lose momentum. They struggle to balance work, family and education commitments. Small obstacles that may seem insignificant to policymakers can become major barriers for individuals trying to navigate the apprenticeship journey.

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This is where behavioural science enters the discussion.

Behavioural science examines how cognitive biases, social pressures and structural barriers influence decision-making. Rather than assuming people always make rational choices, it focuses on how people actually behave in the real world.

The report argues that applying these insights to apprenticeship systems could significantly improve outcomes.

Think of a young person exploring a career in construction. In Ontario alone, prospective workers can face more than 100 skilled trades pathways, each with different requirements, credentials and career prospects. Navigating that complexity can make decision-making difficult.

There is also the challenge of persistence.

An apprentice may know that completing training will lead to higher earnings in the future. Yet behavioural science shows that people often place greater weight on immediate costs than future rewards.

Long hours, classroom requirements, paperwork and financial pressures can all feel more significant in the moment than the benefits that may arrive years later. The result is predictable: some apprentices drop out before reaching certification.

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Skills shortages are estimated to have reduced Canada’s GDP by billions of dollars annually and have contributed to the country’s productivity challenges.

Meanwhile, demand for skilled trades workers continues to grow. Projections show a significant gap between future labour demand and available skilled workers over the coming years.

Simply spending more money on existing programs will not be enough.

Behavioural insights must be embedded into both classroom learning and on-the-job training to reduce friction points that cause apprentices to disengage. And programs must be rigorously tested to determine which approaches work and which do not.

Countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland have built apprenticeship systems that incorporate stronger supports, clearer pathways and better integration between education and employment. Canada and Ontario should look to those models to see if elements would work here.

The stakes are high.

If our apprenticeship pipeline continues to leak talent at current rates, labour shortages will intensify, project timelines will lengthen and our economic growth will suffer.

We must move the conversation beyond funding levels and focus on outcomes. We need a training system built for the people who use it.

Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at [email protected].

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