RESCON urges apprenticeship overhaul using behavioural science

By Ontario Construction News

June 24, 2026

Canada should adopt behavioural science principles to improve apprenticeship recruitment and completion rates in the skilled trades to address ongoing labour shortages, according to a new report from the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON).

The report, Are We Ready to Build Canada? says apprenticeship policies have relied too heavily on financial incentives and information campaigns while overlooking behavioural factors that influence whether people enter, remain in and complete training programs.

Apprenticeship completion rates have remained at about 20 per cent of registrations since 2013, even as demand for skilled construction workers has continued to rise, the report says. The authors argue this gap is contributing to significant economic losses in gross domestic product, worker income and tax revenues.

The report was written by Nathaniel Barr, professor of creativity and senior advisor of innovation at Sheridan College; Michael McNamara, professor of creativity and director of the Community Ideas Factory at Sheridan College; and James K. Stewart, economist and senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute.

“Canada should look to behavioural science to significantly boost apprenticeship recruitment and completion rates in the skilled construction trades,” said Richard Lyall, executive director of RESCON. “By embracing behavioural science, we can achieve better training outcomes and improve how youth view the skilled construction trades.”

The report argues that skills-training policy has largely focused on economic levers such as subsidies, tax incentives and information campaigns, rather than behavioural design elements that shape decision-making and program outcomes.

“For too long, skills training policy has focused on purely economic levers — more information, subsidies and tax incentives — rather than addressing the behavioural factors shaping training outcomes,” the report says.

It recommends that governments improve data collection on apprenticeship completions and the broader economic costs of labour shortages, measure success based on completions rather than registrations, and focus more on the needs and experiences of apprentices and employers.

The report also calls for faster responses to systemic issues and better program design that reflects how people actually make decisions.

“While increased funding for apprenticeships is important, the greater challenge lies in how training policies and programs are designed and delivered,” Lyall said.

RESCON says the proposed changes could improve apprenticeship completion rates, strengthen the skilled trades workforce and encourage more young people to enter construction careers.

Click here to view the report.