Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS)

Detailed information for 2005

Status:

Active

Frequency:

Annual

Record number:

3154

The purpose of the survey is to gather information on individuals who receive training and those who obtain certification within a trade where apprenticeship training is being offered. Specifically, the survey compiles data on the number of registered apprentices taking in-class and on-the-job training in trades that are either Red Seal or non-Red Seal and where apprenticeship training is either compulsory or voluntary. It also compiles data on the number of provincial and interprovincial certificates granted to apprentices or tradespersons.

Data release - November 15, 2007

Description

The purpose of the survey is to gather information on individuals who receive training and those who obtain certification within a trade where apprenticeship training is being offered. Specifically, the survey compiles data on the number of registered apprentices taking in-class and on-the-job training in trades that are either Red Seal or non-Red Seal and where apprenticeship training is either compulsory or voluntary. It also compiles data on the number of provincial and interprovincial certificates granted to apprentices or tradespersons. In the context of this survey, a tradesperson is an individual who received training within a trade where apprenticeship training is voluntary and did not register for the apprenticeship training but succeeded in obtaining their certification within that trade.

The survey is sponsored by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), who is the main user of the information in the analysis of labour force supply. The information is also made available to other federal and provincial departments and agencies, associations, non-government agencies and researchers.

The survey collected aggregate data by trade programs from 1980 to 1990. It included information on the number of new registrations, total registrations, leavers, completions and certificates granted. In 1991 individual record information on the apprentice began to be requested and additional information on gender and age was obtained.

Reference period: Calendar year

Collection period: February through September of the year after the reference period.

Subjects

  • Adult education and training
  • Education, training and learning
  • Fields of study

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The RAIS covers registered apprentices taking in-class and/or on-the-job training in trades that are either Red Seal or non-Red Seal and where apprenticeship training is either compulsory or voluntary. It also covers apprentices or trade qualifiers (challengers) who are granted provincial and interprovincial certificates. In the context of the RAIS, a trade qualifier (challenger) is a tradesperson who, according to the assessment authority of the province or territory, has enough experience to pass the final exam to obtain certification without previously following an apprenticeship program.

Instrument design

The content of the original questionnaire and the current record layout was developed in close cooperation with the survey sponsor Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) as well as the personnel of the apprenticeship branch of each province and territory across Canada, the survey respondents.

The original questionnaire and the current record layout content aimed mainly at addressing the data need of HRSDC for the purpose of labour force supply analysis. Extensive consultation was also done with the personnel of the apprenticeship branch of each province and territory across Canada to insure that the data elements included were or potentially would be available from their administrative database.

Sampling

This survey is a census with a cross-sectional design.

Data are collected for all units of the target population, therefore, no sampling is done.

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: 2006-04-01 to 2007-06-30

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents and extracted from administrative files.

Data collection from 1980 to 1990 was obtained entirely by questionnaire. Starting in 1991, electronic reporting of individual record information was introduced and obtained from some of the major provinces. Throughout the 1990s, the remainder of the provinces and territories also began to report in individual record format and have all been doing so since 2001.

The survey initial contact consists of a written data request via regular mail that occurs each year usually in February or March and requests information for the entire previous calendar year, January 1 to December 31. The letter, requesting survey information, is sent to the Directors of Apprenticeship for each province and territory with a follow-up via telephone or e-mail occurring on a periodic basis starting approximately three months after the initial mail-out. The collection method used is electronic. It consists of sending electronic flat files to Statistics Canada.

Currently the information is requested in individual record format with each record representing a registered apprentice. The information obtained for each record consists of several data elements which are described in the "Additional documentation" link below. Information for the survey is obtained from the apprenticeship branch of each province and territory across Canada. While the survey is requesting information only in the electronic individual record format, a paper questionnaire is made available to respondents if there is a temporary need for aggregate reporting.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .

Error detection

Statistics Canada performs a series of data quality controls, which include:

(1) Checking for internal consistencies, e.g., missing and invalid codes, data element inconsistencies, executing frequency tables and examining outliers for certain data elements. The software used in providing these edits include utility programs and statistical analysis programs which are applied at the individual record level.

(2) Comparing the most recent data year with past data years to detect any unusual or unexpected changes. Comparisons of tabulated data are made with the data published by the provinces and territories, where available.

Imputation

The Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS) uses methodologies, systems, applications, tools and processing procedures allowing manual and automated editing and imputation of microdata. An historical, deterministic and donor imputation method is used.

Estimation

This is a total census survey and estimation does not apply.

Quality evaluation

Comparison tables showing several years of data, including the current year and previous years, are used for historical trend analysis. As well, trends comparison with other data sources is performed.

Once the data are finalized, the availability of registered apprenticeship information is announced in The Daily.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data which would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

Several measures are taken to ensure that the survey does not release confidential data. Any release of the data to the public is done through the Common Data Repository (CDR), where no identifiers are stored and only aggregate information is available. For tabular data, the numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

Historical revisions do occasionally occur. After analysis of the historical trend, in common agreement between Statistics Canada and the survey respondents, previous year's data can be revised. In order to perform such modifications, new historical data has to be submitted by the survey respondents and reprocessed by Statistics Canada.

Data accuracy

A low response rate exists for some of the data elements which are of secondary importance in the list of variables in the survey and include - type of indenture, type of institutional training, reason for leaving the program, in-school credits, on-the-job credits, prior trade certification and province/territory of residence twelve (12) months prior.

The collection of journey person certification is currently being received from all provinces except Quebec and therefore has never been included in official data release. Consultation with Quebec regarding that issue is currently taking place.

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