I think it's a very important question. I can only offer an answer in the context of this program here. I would say that for military people who commit to an apprenticeship, based on my knowledge of people in the military who have gone into the trades, the success rate is pretty well 100%.
There are economic factors that can dissuade them from continuing to completion. For instance, when they have to go back into the school for a period of four, six, or eight weeks, quite often there's a delay in employment insurance. For someone in their late 20s or early 30s who has a mortgage, car payments, or a spouse who may not be working and may have young children, that's a long time without revenue, and this becomes a barrier, so they accept the fact that with two years of training they can earn a certain amount, and they just carry on from there.
The other thing that's probably worth highlighting are the barriers to entry to apprenticeship. This is converse to your question, but it is nonetheless important, because it touches on the whole notion of workforce development.
I find it interesting that here in Canada, where we have such a requirement for skilled trades, we often look beyond Canada. At the same time, the companies that say they have a need do not necessarily contribute in an equal way to workforce development; in other words, they do not support apprenticeships. This in itself becomes a barrier to entry and can exacerbate the situation for someone who is one, two, three, four years into an apprenticeship and is suddenly laid off. This person may have to wait six months before the next gig that will allow him to complete the hours needed for a licence.
Thank you.