Highlighted below are the key conclusions as they pertain to the effectiveness of the SSA Scholarship Strategic Initiative and the outcomes of SSA scholarship winners.

The scholarship opportunity is a valuable incentive for SSA students and results in various positive benefits. Analysis of the information collected from the survey suggests that knowledge of the scholarship opportunity has various positive influences on students study and work behaviours. For example, while over half of scholarship winners indicated that the scholarship opportunity positively influenced their school grades, their study habits and their work habits, virtually all scholarship winners felt that that the scholarship was a valuable incentive. In addition, the majority of scholarship winners indicated that the scholarship opportunity positively influenced their interest in becoming an apprentice and their decision to continue their apprenticeship.

The scholarship opportunity may not be a primary incentive for enrolment in SSA. Scholarship winners generally learned of the scholarship opportunity at different points in their program. For example, approximately half of respondents reported that they did not hear of the scholarship opportunity until halfway or later in the program (41.4%) or until graduation (9.2%). Just under half first heard about the scholarship opportunity when they first learned of SSA (31.0%) or when they were applying for admission to the program (14.9%). Given the varied points at which students generally learn of the scholarship opportunity, it may be that the scholarship operates mainly as an incentive for students already enrolled and committed to SSA.

The scholarship award is sufficient and is useful for students to purchase materials needed for their apprenticeship. In general, scholarship winners are using their award to purchase materials, books or equipment needed for work (44.4%) or school (33.3%). The amount of the scholarship award was also reported by the vast majority of scholarship winners (80.5%) to be sufficient to assist them in their career plans.

SSA scholarship winners have experienced positive employment outcomes. The vast majority of scholarship winners were active as apprentices at the time of the interview (83.9%) and were with the same employer as when they were in SSA (70.2%). In addition, scholarship winners have generally not changed their career or occupational choice since they were in SSA.

back | table of contents