While research conducted solely with apprentices is limited, findings denote apprehension to disclose disability to offices that support students with disabilities in post-secondary institutions, leading to feelings of isolation. They also show that lack of sufficient information about learning resources and accommodations prior to training is a barrier to successfully moving through their program (Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, 2021).
In addition, with no clearly articulated pathway or streamlined process, many apprentices currently find the apprenticeship application system difficult and confusing to navigate (Government of Ontario, 2021). An apprentice survey led by the Government of Ontario (2021) indicated that simplifying the process is needed for a smoother transition into the skilled trades. For apprentices with disabilities, one main barrier they face is a lack of willingness from employers to hire and train them because of misconceptions regarding their job readiness, performance, and accessibility requirements (Government of Ontario, 2022). For Certification of Qualification (C of Q) and Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) exams, which are regulated by Skills Ontario, student accommodations are possible, but it requires pre-approval and is a lengthy process consisting of many steps that can make it taxing for both staff and student. Given that apprenticeship training culminates in the completion of the certification exam, introduction of the Red Seal standards from the outset and throughout apprenticeship training, along with a breakdown of exam content and weighting, can help apprentices focus on their studying (Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, 2021).
Hands-on training is considered the universal approach to learning the skills needed for the trades, which touches on many different learning styles (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, multimodal, and reading/writing), but returning to the classroom can be a stressful shift for students. It can be difficult for students with disabilities and for those who may not have a formal diagnosis of a disability but have a history of encountering academic challenges to learn material that is conveyed in a way that is not compatible with their learning style. With being on campus for short blocks (8-to-12 weeks), accommodation must be timely. Extra time for tasks entailing reading and writing, laptops with audio module software and wireless devices to communicate with apprentices with hearing impairments constitute some accommodations that are already provided in the workplace and can also be utilized in the academic setting (Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, 2009).
As trade programs are regulated by Skilled Trades Ontario, students cannot drop or switch classes, like students in other academic programs are able to do. As mentioned earlier, having full academic schedules combined with external stressors (e.g., commutes, home life, studying) can produce a lot of stress and anxiety for students. These feelings can be exacerbated for students with learning disabilities and those who are undiagnosed. Packed schedules make it hard for students to reach out to services on campus to receive help, especially when they are inaccessible after business hours. The need to deliver services to apprentices during a time that works with their schedules and to provide time to practice skills, such as self-care and anxiety management strategies, outside of a testing environment is imperative (Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, 2021).
For more information on stress and anxiety, check out CICMH’s Stress and Anxiety infosheet here and Managing Stress and Loneliness course here.
For more information, visit CICMH’s Accessibility and Accommodations toolkit, which provides the campus community with a fulsome understanding of disability, accommodations, and accessibility, in order for them to provide support and referrals to students and design programming in the most accessible way.
Spotlight
The Apprenticeship Success Centre at Algonquin College provides accommodation and accessibility support for students in both pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. The centre helps students with accommodations, tutoring, workshops, peer note-taking, learning strategies for time management, studying, note-taking, and assistive technology.
Mohawk College has a specific accommodations site for apprentices, providing information on the services they provide regarding accessibility and accommodation requests for classes, certificates, and more. The college also spotlights success stories of apprentices with disabilities in their school newsletter and on their website.In addition, the college also strives to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to achieve equitable, accessible, and inclusive learning environments.
At George Brown College, their Accessible Learning Services department has an Accessibility Consultant that works with apprenticeship students in supporting them with their accommodation needs to ensure timely access to services.
