According to Len Crispino, it defies logic that there’s an impending massive shortage of skilled tradespeople in the province.
Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, heavy equipment mechanics, millwrights and other skilled workers make higher-than-average salaries, have good job security and find jobs easily, said the president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
“People in the trades also leave a legacy that is unmatched by other professions,” he said.
“For example, if you take a look at the crystal structure on the Royal Ontario Museum, it’s a building that will last maybe 200 years. I believe there’s insufficient pride that we, as a society, have in these icon buildings.”
“It’s not just about going to university. Trades are important, and can be awfully satisfying from the standpoint of the legacy that’s left behind.”
There is a potential shortfall of 360,000 skilled trades workers in Ontario by 2025, caused in part by the impeding retirement of the baby boom generation, he said.
Although there is always a place for university-educated people in our society, part of the problem is many teenagers aren’t even considering apprenticeships and college programs.
Others are dropping out of high school or not going onto post-secondary education at all, and working at minimum wage jobs instead, Crispino said.
Government, the business community, educators, unions and parents need to work together to present the skilled trades as a viable option for young people, he said.
“I think we’ve got to get more ad campaigns that speak about the contributions in the trades make. The government is trying to get more apprenticeships out there, and that’s a positive steps. I know there’s some tax advantages with respect to employers. It’s a cumulative thing.”
One problem is that some high schools haven’t been teaching skills like automotive repair and welding, and youth have never gotten a taste for these skills, said Daniel Giroux, vice-president of Les Entreprises Boréal at Collège Boréal.
“With the cutbacks at the high school level, a lot of the trade labs were hit first,” he said. “Obviously what happened afterward was the kids didn’t have a feel for what the trades were or what the programming at the college level was. They had no idea what they were missing.”
But as the skilled trades shortage emerges, it frequently makes the news. More students have started entering skill trades programs, but it’s still not enough, Giroux said.
“A lot of our students already have jobs before graduation, and we’re getting calls from industry. If we have 20 heavy equipment mechanics, and they’ve already got jobs, we’re still receiving calls for another 30 or 40 heavy equipment mechanics that we just don’t have a student base for.”
The growth of skilled trades programs has been slower in the northwest because of the downturn in the forestry industry, said Don Bernofky, executive director of innovation and skills development at Confederation College in Thunder Bay.
In the past, skilled trades suffered from an image problem, so teenagers didn’t want to go into college programs, he said.
“I think the trend is slowing starting to shift. There are opportunities here, and these jobs are really high-tech,” he said. “It’s applied, but your main tool might be a laptop.”
