In Ontario we have the lowest apprenticeship completion rates in Canada. This study was undertaken to comprehend the factors that contribute to obstacles working against the trades but specifically electricians in comparison to German apprentices. Interviews were done with Canadian apprentices, electricians, union/association representatives and educators based on constructivist theory to establish exploratory findings. Early on it was clear that Ontario’s vocational dilemma was the result of poor organization which affects equitable access and social justice within the trades. The study sought to understand how young people were able to enter the electrical trades, the nature of the transitions which supported or undermined these processes, including the kind of student advisement that was available to them. Although policy sharing impossible because of the economic orientation in Canada, the German model highlights stark contrasts that reveal issues surrounding social justice.

Stakeholders’ were asked, “do policies need to change?” which resulted in a wide range of responses that revealed far ranging systemic problems. Ontario’s vocational programs lack diversity or inclusivity of apprentices and is likely a historical product of a chaotic structure that demands social capital and expertise for successful integration.

Ontario possesses severe obstacles in the way it designs, supports and enfranchises vocational pathways through its transition system. Although the study was focused solely on one of the most enfranchised of trades, that of electrician, the primary findings are that the province maintains serious barriers for vocational pathways, reinforced by transition systems. It also finds that high levels of social capital are needed to access the electrical trade, and that those with family connections have the most access. This tends to contribute to the lack of diversity among apprentices, with few women or people of color able to enter the electrical trades.

Qualitative research undertaken is positioned in accordance with constructivism, which Creswell (2018) explains, refers to the interpretation of subjective meaning derived through social actors’ experiences, and the ‘complexity of (their) varied and multiple views rather than narrowing meaning into few categories or ideas’ (p.8). The work addresses Ontario’s vocational framework focused on the processes of advisement and transition systems through the lens of constructivism. The paradigm of constructivism is premised on the view that actors derive subjective meaning from lived experience and as a theory relies upon the understanding of participants rather than hypothesis and deductive reasoning. Given the lack of research regarding Ontario’s vocational dilemma, the use of constructivism and qualitative methods justifies the methods. Based on Cotty (1998) in Creswell's’, Research Design (2018), there are three constructivist assumptions that support this premise (p.8): 1. Actors construct meaning as they engage and interpret their world which suits open-ended qualitative questioning. 2. Meaning is derived in part through the perspective of actors’ cultural experience, and by their historical and social perspectives; hence, researchers seek to understand the setting of the participants and their world. 3. Context is social by nature, and the interaction of actors within a community determines issues and in so doing, inductive reasoning assists in data collection. While constructivism is the research paradigm upon which this work is based, the specific research design is a case study, while the methods consist of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. This research will employ an explorative descriptive narrative to depict the concerns of actors and reflect on how current literature supports those experiences. Yin (2014, p. 16) explains that a case study approach is appropriate for research when the concern being studied cannot be easily separated from its context. Interviewing actors attached to the electrical field suits a case study approach, which seeks to uncover the relationship that this trade has with transition systems, advisement and its place in vocational education. An exploratory descriptive narrative (Creswell, 2018; p.104) will be utilized as it complements both semi-structured interviews based on a case studies and a constructivist paradigm. Exploratory descriptive research is helpful for investigating social phenomena where there has been very little research, so as to provide insights into perspectives of key actors, and to identify social processes and how they are mediated by social actors.

Technical Vocational Education and Training or TVET in Ontario generally lack relevance despite its acknowledged importance to the provincial and national economy, due to historical fragmentation, curriculum, social and institutional inequity, unhelpful policies, and finally, government and institutional managerialism. There is no seamless registration system or organizational vigour, career advisement or unified support for employers, educators and students. The lack of transparency and support reinforces a clear message that Ontario is a province open for business supported by academic education by universities and colleges, not trades or skills. The study concludes with recommendations for how transitions into the electrical trades can be supported and features of the German system that could act as ameliorate the structure if the government would be willing to evolve practices.

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