Canada / Gender Gap in Apprenticeship: earnings similar to college education for men but lower for women

Analysis of the 2006 census found certified male apprentices had earnings similar to men with a community college education, according to two papers to be published in the Canadian Labour Market and Skills Researcher Network monthly publication.

The first study, by University of Toronto professors Morley Gunderson and Harry Krashinsky, found male apprentices earn 24 per cent more than those with just a high-school diploma, 15-per-cent more than those with other trades and 2-per-cent more than college graduates.

It’s a different picture for women, though. Doing an apprenticeship yields lower returns then just completing high school and “substantially” lower returns than completing community college — likely reflecting that female apprenticeships tend to be in low-wage jobs in industries like food and personal service such as hairdressing, the analysis said.

Still, females who do an apprenticeship in traditionally male-dominated trades (like mechanics) tend to have an earnings premium that’s greater even than male apprentices, the second study by Industry Canada’s Daniel Boothby and Trent University’s Torben Drewes found.

Their general conclusion – once all the costs and benefits are taken into account, including training costs and future earnings, an apprenticeship education is as financially attractive an option as a college degree.

Choosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor from

via Apprenticeships a profitable substitute to college: studies – The Globe and Mail.