Rethinking a Career in Trades

Heavy, strenuous and dirty... or a great career opportunity?

Teens planning to enter the workforce within the next five to 10 years won’t need to worry as much about finding a job – especially those considering a career in the trades industry.
According to careersintrades.ca, “Our population is aging and birth rates are declining, resulting in a shortage of one million workers by 2020.” And with the first baby boomers due to reach retirement age by 2012: “In 2015, 48 per cent of the workforce will be between 45 and 64 years old.”

Based on these projections, the government is urging teens to consider a career in trades. When other sectors may be struggling, the trades sector is one that can provide many opportunities. But one obstacle that may be keeping the government’s plea from being answered is the long-standing negative stereotypes associated with the trades industry.

“Work in the trades is still regarded by many as heavy, strenuous, dirty and unpleasant,” says Terry Cooke, president of Skills/Compétences Canada. “So [we feel] we should push our youngsters, from a very early age, to aspire to work in medicine, law, finance or the other so-called professional jobs in preference to a trade or technology area.”

However, these trade occupations deserve the attention of passionate and talented people, and not everyone holds the same old views about the industry. According to Cynthia Faubert, marketing and communications officer for Skills/Compétences Canada, there are several reasons why teens should, and are, pursuing a trades career.

“Students are attracted to careers in the trades because they can launch directly into exciting industries that are in high demand. For many people, the idea of obtaining years of education, then entering into a field that they may or may not like isn’t appealing. An apprenticeship in the trades is the first step towards a career that can lead to owning your own business, managing a large number of people and being involved in groundbreaking projects.”

Another advantage of working towards a career in trades is that you don’t have to wait four or five years after high school to gain work experience. In fact, programs are now available in high school to get teens started in the field of trades. The ACE-IT (Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training) program is designed to give students practical work experience in a trade of their choice while in high school. Students who complete ACE-IT will earn both high-school graduation credits and first year technical training credits for their chosen trade.

Cariboo Hill student Adriel Carey is grateful he entered the ACE-IT program for the Information and Technology sector: “[It’s] a great opportunity for people who already know what they want to do in their life without having them waste time on subjects in school that wouldn’t necessarily help them in their career goals.”

So how do you know if a career in trades is right for you? Faubert suggests job shadowing: “Job shadowing or visiting someone in the workplace can reveal options that you may have never considered.”

High school is an excellent time to explore a career in trades. It’s an industry with lots of positions available, which is crucial during times of economic trouble, and it is an industry that appeals to a diverse group of individuals. After all, it will be up to our generation to fill the jobs left by the retiring baby boomers.