OTTAWA, ONTARIO-- The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l'apprentissage (CAF-FCA) recently completed a landmark study that reveals that for every dollar employers invest in an apprentice, they will receive a positive return on their investment. Details of the study will be released at the “Apprenticeship – A Winning Formula” conference in Montreal, Quebec from June 4 – 6, 2006. Over 450 delegates from the apprenticeship community across Canada are expected to attend this sold-out event.

“Never before has such an in-depth study been conducted in this area” says Allison Rougeau, Executive Director of the CAF-FCA. “Previous studies tended to focus exclusively on the perceived costs of hiring and training an apprentice. This study is comprehensive because it focuses on the costs and benefits associated with apprenticeship training.”

In addition to the release of the study, a wide range of top-of-mind issues will be presented at the apprenticeship conference. Key topics such as Credential Recognition of Internationally Trained Workers in the Construction Industry to Future Direction for Apprenticeship Systems are on the agenda. For more information about the conference, please visit the CAF-FCA’s Conference Web site at: www.caf-fca.org/conf2k6/index.asp .

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l'apprentissage (CAF-FCA) was established in June 2000. We are the only pan-Canadian not-for-profit organization that brings together people from all areas of our country’s apprenticeship community. Our 42-member Board of Directors includes representatives from:

	Business			Visible minorities
	Labour			Aboriginal persons
	Interprovincial Alliance of Apprenticeship Board Chairs (IPA)			Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA), and
	Educators			Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).
	Persons with disabilities			Women

Our work is focused in three key areas:

1. Research — We undertake a variety of research projects related to examining issues of concern to the apprenticeship community, such as perceptions of barriers and the opinions and attitudes of young people in relation to the skilled trades and apprenticeship.
2. Discussion and collaboration — We connect with stakeholders through consultative activities such as think tanks, project consultations, validation panels and a biennial apprenticeship conference.
3. Promotion — We take a leadership role in promoting the benefits of apprenticeship training and the skilled trades to employers, youth and those who influence career choices.

Our mission To influence pan-Canadian apprenticeship strategies through research, discussion and collaboration by the apprenticeship community. To promote apprenticeship as an effective model for training and education, contributing to the development of a skilled, high-quality, productive, inclusive and mobile labour force. Our vision The CAF-FCA is a driving force for healthy, vibrant and progressive apprenticeship systems on a pan-Canadian level.

To obtain a press kit, please contact:
Nicole Herod, Manager\Communications
Canadian Apprenticeship Forum –
Forum canadien sur l'apprentissage
Tel: (613) 235-4004, x 209 Fax: (613) 235-7117
Email: nicole_herod@caf-fca.org