This report presents the findings of a research study commissioned by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CFA). The CFA is a multi-partite organization comprised of business, labour, government, educators and other groups that promotes apprenticeship as an effective training and education system and provides a mechanism for key stakeholders to support apprenticeship-delivery systems across Canada. The CAF-FCA has identified accessibility and barriers to apprenticeship as an area of key concern and contracted the Canadian Labour and Business Centre (CLBC) to research this issue.

The objectives of the study were to:

1) Identify and explore the perspectives of individuals, unions, employers, governments and educators concerning the barriers to accessing, maintaining and completing apprenticeships.
2) Determine which barriers are systemic and which may be specific to certain groups.
3) Engage the apprenticeship community in a consultative process to discuss the findings and examine recommendations.