‘There are many opportunities to make a good living and enjoy what you’re doing. That’s what (students) really need to hear,’ said local landscaper
For many people from earlier generations, the phrase skilled trades has a negative connotation.
Once seen as one of the few paths available for those who didn’t go to university, skilled trades have been facing a ‘looming’ crisis for over twenty years.
Although this topic has been on the radar for government and industry leaders for some time, it’s hitting a critical point due to the large number of baby boomers retiring, ongoing societal pressure favoring university education over college or trade schools, and growing demand for infrastructure projects.
Often looked down upon by those without real experience in the field, skilled trades were labeled as “dirty” or “menial,” which aren’t terms most people want linked to their work.
According to Ruth Walker Scott, a senior officer with Simcoe County’s economic development office, while some stigma still exists around skilled trades, it is becoming less significant as more individuals recognize how essential these roles truly are.
“I would say it still exists to some extent, with certain generations or certain individuals that maybe haven’t had the exposure to today’s skilled trades environment,” she noted this week during a break at the Simcoe County Skilled Trades Fair at Georgian College’s Midland campus.
“Once people start to see and really understand the opportunities that are out there, they quickly discover these are not lesser roles,” said Walker Scott. “It’s not the default route for someone who may not be good at academics.”
The county partnered with Georgian College to host a day-long skilled trades fair divided into two segments – a morning session aimed at high school students and an afternoon session open to the public and job seekers.
Walker Scott mentioned that over 300 high school students attended the morning session.
“They’re students who have expressed an interest in learning more about the skilled trades,” Walker Scott explained. “They work with Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) coordinators from both school boards who organized their attendance and their tours of the different areas and labs that are part of the fair.”
According to Skilled Trades Ontario, a skilled trade is “a specialized, hands-on occupation recognized by the province, comprising 144 designated trades categorized under construction (electrician, plumber, carpenter), industrial (millwright, machinist), motive power (automotive technology), and service (cook, hairstylist) sectors.”
Out of these 144 trades, 23 require certification or registration with Skilled Trades Ontario in order to work legally. Others offer certification that is helpful but not mandatory.
A big draw of Thursday’s fair was getting one-on-one time with potential employers like Ontario Provincial Police, Canadian Armed Forces, Rudy Mak Surveying, Midland Penetanguishene Home Builders Association, Napoleon and Thermogenics.
One employer present was Jeff Argue Landscaping from Waubaushene; he had mixed feelings about attending.
On one hand, he appreciated connecting with numerous potential hires; on the other hand he wished he could speak with all high school students rather than just those interested in his field.
“I think we got a lot of interest because we’re an industry most of them would recognize,” Argue stated. “But most of them don’t really know what we do.”
He went on to list several types of workers landscaping firms regularly need – masons who construct retaining walls and heavy equipment operators running backhoes and excavators alongside surveyors planning designs and horticulturalists caring for plants.
“My only disappointment is that I’m not talking to all of the students; just those who have shown interest in skilled trades,” he shared. “What I’d really like is the chance to talk to all of them.”
If independent business owners like him could share their experiences directly with every student in high school about their journeys – from schooling through apprenticeships into their careers – Argue believes it would help lessen demand for workers in this sector.
“I think if you put six guys like me in front of kids and let us tell our life stories-from when we left school through our apprenticeships until now-we’d cover all kinds of experiences,” Argue suggested. “They’d see there are plenty opportunities out there where they can earn well while enjoying what they do. That’s what they really need to hear.”
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“I think if you put six guys like me in front of kids and let us tell our life stories-from when we left school through our apprenticeships until now-we’d cover all kinds of experiences,” Argue suggested. “They’d see there are plenty opportunities out there where they can earn well while enjoying what they do. That’s what they really need to hear.”
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