Environmental scan

Expansion of the Service Sector Over the last twenty years, the service sector has grown substantially.1 Employment in professional, scientific, technical, business, building, and support services have more than doubled since 1987.2 The expansion of the service sector—along with important social changes in women’s role in the workplace—has helped to create a significant increase in women’s employm [...] Apprentices from these groups often report discriminatory hiring practices, negative perceptions of their abilities, isolation, and harassment in apprenticeship classrooms and on the job.15 Given these retention challenges, the number of women who actually complete their apprenticeship and receive a certificate in a non-traditional skilled trade is extremely low, as shown in the chart on the next [...] In 2005, the number of new certificates in skilled trades issued to women ranged from zero in the Northwest Territories to a high of 102 in Alberta; those 102 women represented just 2.7% of all newly licensed tradespeople in the province. [...] Regional Trends Women’s participation in the labour force varies across the country, ranging from a high of 65% in Alberta to a low of 48.3% in Newfoundland and Labrador. [...] As seen in the chart below, the unemployment rate varies widely across the country, from a high of 15.2% in Newfoundland and Labrador, to a low of 3.9% in Alberta.32 32 Data and chart from The Canadian Labour Market at a Glance, p. 22.