Apprentice Ratios // CANS response to proposed amendments to the General Regulations of the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualification Act

In December 2021, CANS submitted a response to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency to express our concerns with the proposed amendments to the General Regulations of the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualification Act as they pertain to:

  • Restrictions on pre-apprentice program durations, delivery methodology, selection/acceptance criteria, and supervision
  • Apprenticeship ratios as a mechanism to safely, efficiently and effectively increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities, completions and consistency

Below is a general overview of our submission, including why CANS is advocating for the ratios to be changed. You can read CANS full submission here.

Overview of submission to NSAA:

The General Regulations of the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act establishes a minimum ratio of apprentices to journeypersons, at one journeyperson to each apprentice, unless otherwise stated in the trade regulations

The current journeyperson to apprentice ratio is not conducive to the construction industry growing its workforce as needed and will result in stagnation of the Nova Scotian economy and population. With workers retiring, apprentices leaving the trades, and apprentices not receiving their Certificate of Completion, industry cannot meet immediate and long-term needs.

Despite having a 1:1 journeyperson to apprentice ratio, Nova Scotia pays the highest average workers’ compensation insurance premiums in Canada. Other jurisdictions, such as Saskatchewan and Alberta have an average ratio of 1:2 while paying a lower insurance premium. The average assessment rate has failed to show a substantial correlation with the Nova Scotia time-loss workplace injury rate, which has continued to significantly decline over the last decade.

The assertion that safety is invariability tied to safety experience is not supported in data.

Provinces which have the strictest regulations on the rate at which firms in specific trades may hire apprentices relative to the number of certified workers substantially reduces the number of people working in a trade by 44%, compared to provinces that have no restrictions.

Incomes of workers in trades with low ratios tend to be 6% lower than those of workers in trades without restrictions. Incomes in trades with high ratios are 10% higher than incomes in trades without legislated ratios.

The ability to hire at a 1:2 ratio or greater provides employers with an opportunity to ensure fit with organizational culture and ensures competency in skill set. An increased ratio will grow productivity, allow for better succession and growth planning, increase training provided, enhance safety, and effectively scale costs to respond to market forces.

By increasing the ratio of journeyperson to apprentice, individuals are more inclined to begin a career in the trades if they know there will be a journeyperson to supervise in a trade of their choosing.

CANS recognizes increasing the ratio of journeyperson to apprentice from 1:1 to 1:2 will increase the number of journeypersons certified in Nova Scotia in a time span of three years, with exponential growth over the next ten years.


Why does CANS want the ratio changed?
  1. The current journeyperson to apprentice ratio is not conducive to the construction industry growing and meeting immediate and long-term needs
  2. Nova Scotia pays the highest average workers’ compensation insurance premiums in Canada, even with a 1:1 journeyperson to apprentice ratio
  3. The average assessment rate has failed to show a substantial correlation with the Nova Scotia time-loss workplace injury rate ­ – the assertion that safety is invariability tied to safety experience is not supported in data
  4. Provinces which have the strictest regulations on the journeyperson–apprentice ratio substantially reduces the number of people working in a trade by 44%, compared to provinces that have no restrictions
  5. Incomes of workers in trades with low ratios tend to be 6% lower than those of workers in trades without restrictions. Incomes in trades with high ratios are 10% higher than incomes in trades without legislated ratios
  6. Increasing the ratio of journeyperson to apprentice from 1:1 to 1:2 will increase the number of journeypersons certified in Nova Scotia in a time span of three years, with exponential growth over the next ten years
  7. The current 1:1 ratio increases workload and can lead to overexertion by the supervising journeyperson, poor performance and low productivity
  8. Strict regulation on 1:1 ratio adversely affects small businesses without multiple certified journeypersons and limits their ability to grow
  9. By doubling the number of apprenticeship opportunities, Nova Scotia is further doubling the opportunity for participation by diverse communities

Looking for more information?

Colleen Fiske-Pinaud
Director, Marketing & Communications
cfiske@cans.ns.ca or 902-877-9170