Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

What Canadian Apprenticeship Forum does

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, that conducts research, produces resources, and convenes events to support apprenticeship systems and skilled trades training across the country. The organization functions as a neutral multi-stakeholder forum bringing together federal and provincial governments, employers, educators and training institutions, and unions to address systemic workforce challenges. Its most prominent current focus is the severe labour shortage in trades critical to Canada's net-zero economic transition, including HVAC, industrial mechanics, electrical work, and welding. The organization does not operate a commercial product platform; its core outputs are commissioned research, policy analysis, and stakeholder convening.

CAF's most significant recent initiative is a 2024–2025 research study commissioned from Prism Economics and Analysis, published in March 2026, which projected that over 264,000 apprentices must be trained and certified by 2034 — a 49% increase over current levels — to support Canada's 2050 climate goals. The organization has no disclosed pricing model, no disclosed revenue, and no disclosed headcount. Its funding appears to derive from government grants, member contributions, and research commissioning arrangements rather than commercial sales, consistent with its non-profit convening model. No leadership team, subsidiaries, funding rounds, or geographic expansion beyond Canada are disclosed in available source material.

Name

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

Legal name

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

Website

https://caf-fca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is a non-profit research and convening organization that brings together governments, employers, educators, and unions to address apprenticeship and skilled trades workforce challenges in Canada, with a current focus on supporting the country's net-zero transition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Research

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Internship/Apprenticeship Matching & Work-Based Learning Platforms (EDAFAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF), Research, Innovation & Fellowship Prep (Labs, Competitions, Publications) (EDAMAKAI)

Keywords

• Apprenticeship research
• Skilled trades training
• Workforce development
• Labour market analysis
• Green skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Core offering

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is a non-profit industry research and advocacy organization that convenes stakeholders across federal/provincial governments, employers, educators, and unions to address apprenticeship and skilled trades workforce development in Canada. It commissions and publishes labour market research (notably the 2024/2025 Prism Economics and Analysis report on green skills demand), produces policy analysis, and facilitates cross-stakeholder collaboration on apprenticeship training initiatives. The organization does not sell commercial products but rather delivers research outputs, policy insights, and convening services.

Product overview

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) is a non-profit industry research and advocacy organization that convenes stakeholders across government, education, employers, and unions to address apprenticeship and skilled trades workforce development in Canada. The organization does not operate a commercial product platform but rather commissions research, produces policy analysis, and facilitates collaboration on apprenticeship training initiatives. Notable research includes the 2024 Prism Economics report on green skills demand projecting that over 264,000 apprentices must be trained and certified by 2034 to support Canada's net-zero transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prism Economics and Analysis Decarbonization Workforce Research Report Commissioned economic research report analyzing the impact of decarbonization on Canada's apprenticeship and labour needs, providing workforce projections and policy insights for stakeholders across government, employers, educators, and unions.
• Stakeholder Convening and Forum Services Neutral forum services that bring together federal and provincial governments, employers, educators, training institutions, and unions to coordinate action on apprenticeship training, workforce planning, and certification pipeline issues.
• Policy Analysis and Workforce Forecasting Policy briefs, labour market forecasts, and analytical outputs supporting government and industry decision-making on apprenticeship systems, certification pathways, and green economy workforce planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 264,000 apprentices must be trained and certified by 2034 - a 49% increase over current levels - to support Canada's net-zero transition

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Prism Economics and AnalysiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Commissioned research partner conducting assessment of the impact of decarbonization on apprenticeship and labour needs across Canada. Prism Economics and Analysis produced a comprehensive report projecting workforce requirements for the net-zero transition, including the finding that over 264,000 apprentices must be trained and certified by 2034.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ApprenticeshipSearch.com: Canadian online platform for discovering and applying to apprenticeship opportunities across provinces and trades. Comparable to CAF as a Canadian apprenticeship-focused organization, but operating as a commercial matching platform rather than a non-profit research and convening forum.
• Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan): National association representing Canadian public colleges and institutes, including their role in apprenticeship delivery. Comparable to CAF as a Canadian non-profit association convening education, employer, and government stakeholders on workforce and skills policy.
• Canadian Construction Association (CCA): National association representing the Canadian construction industry, with a workforce-development mandate including apprenticeship and skilled trades. Comparable to CAF in convening employers, government, and labour on construction apprenticeship issues, though advocacy-led rather than research-led.
• Skills Canada: Canadian non-profit that promotes skilled trades and technology careers through competitions, awareness campaigns, and stakeholder engagement. Highly comparable to CAF as a Canadian non-profit forum working on apprenticeship and trades workforce development, though focused on promotion rather than policy research.
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): US-based non-profit that accredits craft training and apprenticeship programs and develops standardized curricula for skilled trades. Directly comparable to CAF as a non-profit apprenticeship standards and accreditation body, though operating in the US and focused on construction trades.
• BuildForce Canada: National Canadian workforce development organization for the construction industry, producing labour-market intelligence and convening employers, unions, and governments on construction trades. Very similar convening + research model to CAF, but specialized to construction rather than the full apprenticeship system.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME): Canada's largest industry trade association, representing manufacturers and exporters and convening stakeholders on workforce, supply chain, and policy issues. Overlaps with CAF on the employer side of the apprenticeship and skilled-trades agenda but operates at a much broader industry scope.
• Business Council of Canada: CEO-led Canadian business policy forum that convenes senior executives to advise governments on economic and workforce policy. Comparable to CAF in the convening-and-policy-advisory function, but operating at C-suite level across all sectors rather than apprenticeship-specific.

Regional players

• National Association of State Apprenticeship Directors (NASAD): US-based association of state apprenticeship directors coordinating apprenticeship policy and best practices. Comparable to CAF as a forum for government apprenticeship leaders, but operating at US state level rather than Canadian national level.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board): UK statutory training board for the construction industry, funding and coordinating apprenticeship and skills training. Highly comparable to CAF's apprenticeship convening role for construction trades, but UK-jurisdiction and construction-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caf_fca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Apprenticeship Forum