I would preface my answer by saying that the concerns I've heard have been from apprentices and journeypersons, not the general public. If I could contain my comments within that context, I think it would be best.
Part of this could be even a perception, right? Remember that the apprentices are working under the guidance of a journeyperson. Like everything else, perception becomes reality. As an apprentice hears stories from his journeyperson around potential delays in getting his own EI cheque when he went through the classroom training component, that can influence an apprentice's decision to attend technical training or not. It's not just the reality of the potential wait times; it's the perception that goes along with it that's passed down from journeypersons to apprentices.