Now more than ever, as Canada recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, skilled tradespeople are in high demand to fill well-paying jobs and build rewarding careers. The most recent projections estimate about 700,000 skilled trades workers are expected to retire between 2019 and 2028, creating an ever-growing need to recruit and train thousands more.
That is why the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, has launched an advertising campaign to promote the skilled trades as a strong first-choice career path for youth and young adults.
“Canada’s workforce needs more skilled trade workers,” said Qualtrough. “They have expertise and skills that are essential to our economy and our way of life. When Canadians are contemplating a new career, we want them to consider entering the skilled trades and to understand the exciting, well-paying opportunities that they present.”
Also launched as part of this campaign is Canada.ca/skilled-trades, a comprehensive website that offers a one-stop national repository for information about skilled trades. The site will help young Canadians learn about the more than 300 skilled trades in Canada and the Red Seal trade designation. The site also highlights in-demand trades in each region and available financial support offered by the Government of Canada. The campaign will reach youth and young adults through popular social media platforms, websites, campus billboards, public transit and national broadcast media.
To further support more Canadians to join the skilled trades, the Government of Canada is investing nearly CA$1 billion annually into apprenticeship supports through grants, loans, tax credits, employment insurance benefits during in-school training, project funding and support for the Red Seal Programme, in addition to existing funding programmes.
Announced in Budget 2019, the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy will strengthen existing apprenticeship supports and programmes by helping apprentices and key apprenticeship stakeholders, including employers, to participate and succeed in the skilled trades.
“The skilled trades offer diverse and rewarding careers, but unfortunately these jobs are sometimes seen as less valuable by Canadians. That could not be further from the truth. I am happy to have participated in the development of this campaign that is making trades more relatable and reminding Canadians of all ages that working in the trades can lead to in-demand and well-paying jobs,” added Mandy Rennehan, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Freshco.
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