A career in one of Ontario’s 144 skilled trades may not be a bad idea for Oakville youth looking for direction when it comes to potential careers. On August 27, 2020, Ontario announced that it is investing $43 million in expanded youth training programs to attract youth to skilled trades career paths.
Canada is facing a labour shortage and Ontario alone needs 26,000 additional skilled trades workers over the next eight years. Meanwhile, Ontario’s unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2020 doubled to 12.5 percent from 6.2 percent in the first quarter due to the ongoing pandemic.
Fransis Idris is the Human Resource Coordinator at Oakville-based AtlasCare heating, cooling, and plumbing. He recommends youth get into the skilled trades while recognizing the stigma that exists around them.
“I think sometimes people view it as an alternative to working in an office or whatever, but I think [skilled trades are] really valuable and it’s needed . . . These are very high paying positions and people that work in skilled trades are pretty well off and they can take care of their families and send their kids to school,” Idris said.
According to Neuvoo, the average salary of skilled trades is around $58,000 a year, based on 37 salaries. According to Canadian Visa, the number one in-demand skilled trade is electrician which boasts a salary ranging from $$48,731 to $66,990. Considering the uncertain future, this may seem more appealing to Oakville youth than other industries in more competitive job markets.
Oakville Chamber of Commerce CEO Drew Redden stressed the importance of skilled trades on Ontario’s economy.
“It takes all sorts of jobs to keep our economy moving forward . . . we need our economy firing on all cylinders and that includes a thriving skilled trades industry. It’s incredibly important for our economy to be moving forward,” said Redden.
With high unemployment and a shortage in skilled labour, now is a good time for youth to secure an apprenticeship in a skilled trade. Anyone interested can contact Employment Ontario to find out more about the youth training programs.