October 10, 2014 – A report by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) finds that investment by skilled trades employers in essential skills training is money well spent.

Claiming to be the first study of its kind in Canada, CAF-FCA conducted a national survey with skilled trades employers to investigate participation in essential skills training and the corresponding return on investment. Respondents represented a variety of regions, business sizes and trades. Employers spoke to the impact of training on increased bill-out and work rates, customer retention, new process innovation and facilitation of other training.
 
The study found that 45% of employers provided essential skills training to their tradespeople, while employers surveyed invested a median of $1125 per learner and realized a total benefit of $4071—for every dollar invested, employers observed a return of $3.08.

“Training associated with adapting to new work processes, problem-solving and digital skills were identified by employers as vital for enhancing productivity in the skilled trades workplace,” said Sarah Watts-Rynard, executive director of CAF-FCA. “This study shows a correlation between training and productivity based on the practical measures used by employers.”

The Business Case for Essential Skills Training in the Skilled Trades notes how the support of government, union and non-profit training providers benefits employers, as well as the extent to which training is conducted with internal resources.

The report is available on caf-fca.org.