Skilled trades a first-choice career

Skilled tradespeople have always played a leading role in shaping Canada.

They’ve built, modified and maintained infrastructure that houses us, keeps us safe and makes it possible for us to have an advanced and diverse economy for generations.

Yet, somehow, we’ve failed to communicate this to young people at the family dinner table, in primary, middle and secondary school classrooms, at virtually any point of influence when discussing post-secondary education options.

This neglect around the optics of skilled trades has created a gap in public knowledge about what they entail. Skilled tradespeople have evolved their roles and capabilities in lockstep with the complexity of the world in which they work.

They are master problem-solvers, technology adopters, innovators, collaborators and leaders in business, labour and our communities.

Canada cannot close productivity gaps, fill labour shortages or effectively nation-build if we keep treating career-focused learning as a backup plan and not a first choice. Shifting this mindset will help our country get what it needs most: graduates with skills that translate into good jobs, and communities with the talent and capacity to build and sustain prosperity.

Strong signals of support for skilled trades from the federal and provincial government support this assertion. It’s time for public perception to follow their lead.

During the next five years, the federal government is committing $6 billion to get more young Canadians into skilled trades. Previously, as part of its spring budget, the province of Manitoba earmarked $7.2 million for apprenticeship training.

For colleges and polytechnic institutions across the country, there is an added dimension of validation woven into these announcements, evidenced by statements such as this found in the Government of Canada’s spring economic update: “Too few young Canadians are entering the trades — missing out on well-paid jobs and long-term financial security. If we want them to benefit from the good jobs that the Build Canada agenda will deliver, we need a new approach.”

This is a decisive step toward parity of esteem: the recognition that universities, colleges and polytechnics are equal, but different, in purpose, and equally worthy of respect.

Colleges and polytechnics here in Manitoba and across Canada look forward to working with partners at the federal and provincial levels of government to ensure this ambitious undertaking occurs at the appropriate pace, aligns with regional labour market needs and has sufficient support for the necessary expansion of training capacity.

There is so much upside to these announcements in terms of career opportunities they will create and capacity they will help build.

The federal government’s investment to recruit, train and retain upward of 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over the next five years will bridge critical labour market gaps in many key sectors and create more career inroads for underserved populations. It will accelerate growth in housing and defence and help us build the capacity necessary to transition toward a clean energy economy.

And the role the skilled trades will play in nation-building enterprises, like the Port of Churchill Plus project, will help unlock economic development opportunities in northern Manitoba and drive economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities.

There is no better moment than now for young Canadians to explore skilled trades opportunities. And for the influencers in their lives, there is no time like the present to learn about skilled trades.

Help the young people in your life make informed and right-fit decisions around post-secondary education that lead them to rewarding careers and continue the legacy of contribution that skilled trades make to Canada’s progress and prosperity.

» Fred Meier is the president and CEO of RRC Polytech. This column previously appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press.