On This Page You Will Find
- What the Statistics Canada study found
- Why apprenticeship certification matters
- How childhood immigrants compare with Canadian-born apprentices
- Which trades show the largest certification gaps
- Why income, work conditions and immigrant background matter
- What the findings mean for Canada’s skilled trades shortage
Canada needs more skilled trades workers, but a new Statistics Canada study shows some immigrant youth who enter apprenticeships face persistent barriers on the path to certification.
The report, released May 27, 2026, found that apprentices who came to Canada as children were less likely to become certified journeypersons than Canadian-born apprentices, even after researchers accounted for age, sex, region, income, work conditions and program characteristics.
The study, titled Becoming journeypersons: A comparative study of childhood immigrant apprentices and Canadian-born apprentices from registration to certification, examined apprentices who registered between 2008 and 2015 and tracked their outcomes through 2023.
It comes as Canada continues to face long-term demand for trades workers in construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, housing and related sectors.
What Is A Childhood Immigrant Apprentice?
Statistics Canada defines childhood immigrants as people who were admitted to Canada before the age of 18.
These individuals differ from adult immigrants because many receive some or all of their education in Canada. As a result, they may avoid some of the barriers that adult newcomers face, such as foreign credential recognition.
However, the new study shows that childhood immigrants still face challenges when they enter Canada’s apprenticeship system.
Across the eight apprenticeship cohorts studied, childhood immigrants made up about 4 to 5 per cent of newly registered apprentices. Canadian-born apprentices made up the remaining 95 to 96 per cent.
Why Trades Certification Matters
Apprenticeship training plays a central role in Canada’s skilled trades system.
To become a certified journeyperson, an apprentice must usually complete paid on-the-job training, technical classroom instruction and one or more exams.
Certification matters because it can unlock higher wages, better benefits and more stable long-term employment.
Statistics Canada noted that apprentices who complete their certification often earn strong incomes. A previous study found that employment income two years after certification was higher for apprentices than for people with an undergraduate degree.
That makes apprenticeship a potentially valuable pathway for young immigrants and Canadian-born workers alike.
Childhood Immigrants Less Likely To Complete Certification
The study found that childhood immigrant apprentices were consistently less likely than Canadian-born apprentices to obtain certification.
Most apprentices, regardless of background, took longer than the expected program duration to certify. Across cohorts, about 16 to 25 per cent certified within the expected program length. That rose to about 33 to 45 per cent when Statistics Canada measured certification within twice the program duration.
But gaps remained.
For example, among the 2009 registration cohort, 16 per cent of childhood immigrants certified within the expected time, compared with 22 per cent of Canadian-born apprentices.
Within twice the program duration, 33 per cent of childhood immigrants in the 2009 cohort certified, compared with 42 per cent of Canadian-born apprentices.
Childhood immigrants were also more likely to discontinue their apprenticeship programs.
Largest Gaps Seen In Several Trades
Certification gaps varied across trades.
Statistics Canada found that childhood immigrants were significantly less likely to obtain certification in 8 of the 19 trades examined.
The largest gaps were in:
- Cabinetmakers – 15 percentage points
- Carpenters – 14 percentage points
- Sheet metal workers – 10 percentage points
- Hairstylists and barbers – 9 percentage points
Moderate gaps, of about five percentage points, also appeared among:
- Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- Plumbers
- Electricians, except industrial and power system electricians
- Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
These findings show that the issue does not affect all trades equally.
Gap Narrows But Does Not Disappear
Statistics Canada used regression models to examine whether observable factors explained the difference in certification rates.
At first, childhood immigrant apprentices were about five percentage points less likely than Canadian-born apprentices to obtain certification after accounting for sociodemographic factors.
When the model also included income, employment and program characteristics, the gap fell to about three percentage points.
That means some of the gap can be explained by measurable factors, but not all of it.
Overall, Statistics Canada found that observable characteristics explained about one-third of the certification disparity. The remaining two-thirds were unexplained, suggesting that other factors may also shape outcomes.
These could include access to networks, employer connections, local training supports, discrimination, family expectations or other barriers not captured in the data.
Income And Work Conditions Matter
The study found a clear link between income, work conditions and certification.
Apprentices earning less than $15,000 in the registration year were 17 percentage points less likely to obtain certification than those earning between $15,000 and $29,999.
Apprentices with higher employment income were more likely to certify.
Other workplace supports also mattered. Apprentices were more likely to complete certification if they had:
- Union membership
- A registered pension plan
- Employment insurance benefits
- Credits for pre-registration training
Pre-registration credits had a particularly strong association with certification. Apprentices with those credits were 13 percentage points more likely to certify than those without them.
These findings suggest that stable work, stronger workplace attachment and access to training supports may help apprentices complete their programs.
Immigrant Background Also Shapes Outcomes
Among childhood immigrants, Statistics Canada found that age at arrival and immigration background influenced certification outcomes.
Childhood immigrants who arrived in Canada as teenagers, between ages 13 and 17, were three percentage points less likely to obtain certification than those who arrived before age five.
Source region also mattered. Compared with childhood immigrants from Asia, those from Europe were more likely to certify, while those from Africa were less likely.
Parental immigration class also showed a link.
Compared with childhood immigrants whose parents came through worker programs:
- Children of Provincial Nominee Program immigrants were more likely to certify
- Children of family-sponsored immigrants were less likely to certify
- Children of refugees were less likely to certify
This suggests that early settlement experiences, family resources and local social networks may influence whether immigrant youth complete apprenticeships.
Why This Matters For Canada
Canada has made skilled trades a major labour-market priority.
The country needs trades workers to build homes, maintain infrastructure, support manufacturing and replace older workers who are retiring.
Immigration already plays an important role in addressing labour shortages. But this report shows that simply bringing immigrant families to Canada is not enough to guarantee equal access to trades success.
If childhood immigrants enter apprenticeship programs but complete certification at lower rates, Canada risks losing skilled workers who are already in the country, already trained in part and already connected to the labour market.
That matters at a time when Canada needs more certified workers, not fewer.
What The Findings Suggest
The report points to a need for stronger support before and during apprenticeship training.
Governments, employers, unions, schools and settlement agencies could help by improving:
- Career guidance about trades for immigrant youth
- Access to apprenticeship employers
- Financial support during training
- Mentorship from certified tradespeople
- Awareness of Red Seal and certification pathways
- Help for students who arrive in Canada during adolescence
- Supports for refugee and family-sponsored immigrant youth
The findings also suggest that apprenticeship policy should not focus only on recruitment. Completion matters just as much.
A Guidepost For Future Immigration And Labour Policy
The study does not suggest that childhood immigrants lack the ability to succeed in skilled trades.
Instead, it shows that their pathway to certification can be harder, even when they grow up in Canada and train in the Canadian system.
For Canada, that should be a warning and an opportunity.
As the country tries to fill trades shortages, it must make better use of the talent already present in immigrant communities. Helping more childhood immigrants complete apprenticeships could support housing construction, infrastructure development and long-term economic growth.
It could also give more young immigrants access to stable, well-paid careers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Statistics Canada report find?
The report found that apprentices who came to Canada as children were less likely to obtain trades certification than Canadian-born apprentices. The gap remained even after researchers accounted for factors such as age, sex, region, income, employment conditions and apprenticeship program characteristics.
Why does apprenticeship certification matter?
Certification helps apprentices become journeypersons and access the full wages, benefits and career opportunities linked to their trade. It is especially important in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, housing and infrastructure, where Canada faces ongoing demand for skilled workers.
Which trades had the largest certification gaps?
The largest gaps appeared among cabinetmakers, carpenters, sheet metal workers, and hairstylists and barbers. Moderate gaps also appeared among plumbers, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, electricians, and heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.
Why are childhood immigrant apprentices less likely to certify?
Statistics Canada found that income, employment conditions, program supports and immigrant background all played a role. Apprentices with lower income, fewer workplace benefits or weaker training supports were less likely to certify. Age at arrival, source region and parental immigration class also influenced outcomes.
What does this mean for Canada’s labour shortages?
Canada needs more certified tradespeople to support housing, infrastructure and economic growth. If childhood immigrant apprentices discontinue programs at higher rates, Canada may lose workers who could help fill those shortages. Better support during training could improve outcomes and strengthen the skilled trades workforce.