Challenges Canada Possesses With Skilled Trades

The Main Challenges:

We will notice certain challenges differing across Canadian provinces when we look closely:

• A steep decline in registrations for skilled trades has been noted in Alberta following heavy job losses in the energy sector. 
• 2019 saw the lowest number of apprenticeship registrations in a decade, with substantial drops in 20 of 21 major trades. 
• Alberta’s economic recovery, coupled with increased spending on infrastructure post-pandemic, is expected to boost demand for tradesmen. 
• With or without these new pressures, Alberta will remain shorthanded due to demand from the oil and gas industry and residential construction.

Workforce Ageing Could Contribute To The Challenges In Skilled Trades In Canada:

Research says:

• By 2028, more than 700,000 skilled trades workers will retire. 
• More than 25% of the manufacturing workforce is over the age of 55, and less than 10% is under the age of 25. 

Role Of Digital Technologies Catering To The Challenges In Skilled Trades In Canada:

• Technologies such as the Internet are transforming the trades themselves. 
• Innovative technologies have enabled many workers to perform their duties more efficiently and accurately, and moreover, remotely. 

84 percent of Canadian executives surveyed by C-Suite Express report that they have difficulty finding qualified and available workers to staff their businesses. The survey respondents reported finding it difficult to find licensed tradespeople, particularly in the service sector, manufacturing, and resource industries. Canadian businesses are calling on the government to make Canada’s human resources challenge its top priority as up to half of the skilled trade work force retires by 2028, as discussed above.

Technological advances are happening so rapidly that it threatens to outpace apprenticeship programs. Current journey people also need to continuously upgrade their skills due to rapid change. Alberta’s energy sector, for instance, will need to adapt as it transitions to more green technologies. With the transition to zero-emission vehicles, a similar transition is needed in the auto industry. 

Lack Of Youth Not Joining The Skilled Trades Industry In Canada:

The youth of Canada is not joining the skilled trades industry as they are joining the other sectors. This is another major problem that keeps piling up the challenges the skilled trades industry in Canada is facing. Simply put, they do not want to get their hands dirty and they would rather prefer sitting behind the office desks. If these problems continue, a better future for the skilled trades industry will stay behind the fog for a longer time. 

As one of the solutions, the Canadian Welding Foundation, a non-profit organisation, builds bridges with youth  groups. Over $3.5 million has been invested in welding labs in secondary schools. In addition, trades camps have been organised specifically for women, immigrants, and Indigenous people.

So, let’s come to a very serious question catering to the youth, not the skilled trades industry in Canada. What’s the other factor that’s stopping them? Well, the answer is:

An Extended Perception Problem: The Stereotype Of Skilled Trades As “Blue-Collar” Jobs:

There has long been a perception issue in addition to a lack of public awareness. As long as there is a stigma guiding students to think of skilled trades as “blue-collar” jobs with heavy, dirty tasks, they are not as attractive as “white-collar” careers. In spite of health and safety standards, many trades require little lifting, and the average salary often exceeds that of other professions. 

A pipefitter or heavy-duty equipment technician with four years’ certification earned more than $100,000 in 2018; an electrician earned between $80,000 and $90,000.14 In addition, intellectual ability is frequently regarded as a coveted trait. Especially given that technological change requires a lifelong upgrade of skills.

Recruitment Firms To The Rescue:

The need to tap into new talent pools is urgent. Canada’s best staffing companies can help you fill that gap. 

It will take addressing core challenges, including recruiting from underrepresented groups and tackling outdated biases, to close the shortage of skilled tradespeople. Canada’s recruitment firms will attract the next generation of tradespeople to work for their clients. The best recruitment firms in Canada will offer safe, skilled, and reliable help for manufacturers. From a single fill-in for an extra shift to a team of individuals ready to assist you with tight deadlines, they can offer candidates who have the skills, training, and work ethic you need.

They can provide you Skilled Trades jobs in Canada for positions such as:

• Millwright
• Electrician
• Tool & Die Maker
• CNC Programmer / Machinist
• PLC Programmers
• Automation / Control Technician

All you need to do is apply for Skilled Trade jobs in Canada that you find are best suited for you.

Enhancing the recruitment efforts in Canada

Shop class is where many tradespeople first encountered welding rods or lathes. According to industry groups, early exposure is especially important for recruiting underrepresented groups who might not otherwise have the opportunity to discover an aptitude for a trade.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) admitted 2,365 skilled tradespeople into Canada in 2019, despite the fact that nearly 21 percent of the Canadian population is composed of immigrants. Canada also limited the number of qualified tradespeople to just 100 in some trades where there was still a severe shortage.