A shift in attitude would help Canada build its skilled trades workforce

If timing is everything, the trades have it in aces. An aging workforce coupled with declining birthrates have opened up all kinds of opportunities in construction. The challenge now, as it has been for decades, is getting through to generations Y and Z, and showing them that construction is the right career path now, and well into the future.

It’s a troubling statistic. Right now, the job vacancy rate in construction is at a record high with as many as 80,000 positions going unfilled. Those vacancies, have consequences. Across the country labour shortages have led to project delays or cancellations and it’s not about to get better anytime soon.

This decade, the construction industry alone, is hiring as many as 300,000 workers to replace retiring baby boomers. As our economy evolves, so does demand for these highly skilled jobs. One in five future jobs will involve the skilled trades. In construction, the possibilities run the gamut, encompassing more than 50 career options from engineers and project managers to electricians and heavy equipment operators.

We know that the pandemic has triggered a major rethink of what today’s generations of job seekers want from their lives and careers. That shift is reflected online, where hashtags such as #JobHopping and #QuietQuitting are trending. There’s a growing frustration that the classic milestones of success such as homeownership, financial stability and a comfortable retirement are out of reach. But they’re not.

That’s why governments, industry, and educators have to work differently to show today’s job seekers that those goals are realistic, especially for those whose who make construction their career choice. And the experience of other countries has shown us that these efforts aren’t necessarily about making large investments in order to attract more people to construction.

For example, a panel focusing on global best practises and youth engagement at the recent
Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, heard that in Switzerland the government provides zero incentives for employers to hire and train apprentices. Yet over 70 percent of employers have apprentices. As many as two thirds of young people pursue apprenticeships, which is why Switzerland has some of the highest rates of certified tradespeople in the world per capita. The difference is largely cultural. It’s a mindset.

That means parents and guidance counsellors could use a change in attitude and understanding. For too long the skilled trades have been viewed as a Plan B. It shouldn’t be either or, but both. In Europe, a lot of students already have a trades certificate by the time they graduate high school. They start their careers with a skill, whether they build on it, or move in a different direction. When I was in college, I also worked in concrete form fitting and carpentry, earning extra money and gaining skills that I’ve put to use to this day. There is no downside to learning a skill.

When comparing return on investment for education, skilled trades programs offer a real advantage, especially in today’s changing economy. It allows students to pay off schooling costs far faster than many university grads with soft skills. For kids struggling to pay off hefty student loans on a meagre salary, that’s a life lesson, especially when friends who’ve chosen to pursue the skilled trades, are debt free, with many able to afford a down payment on their first home. That’s the message that has to get through.

At the same time, governments are working to ensure skills training is in step with the times. What’s required is a modern, flexible and efficient way of providing training. Focusing on micro-credentials for example, would allow people to gain the kinds of skills that employers need right now, and put those skills to work more quickly. Skills training should also be more widely available. In some parts of Ontario, for example it is non-existent.

Both Alberta and Ontario are in the midst of reforming their skilled trades systems. These are long overdue reforms aimed in part at countering stereotypes and demonstrating that the skilled trades are every bit as valuable as all other academic pursuits.

It goes without saying that our industry must attract more underrepresented groups including women, Indigenous peoples and newcomers. If we’ve learned anything from other countries, it’s the importance of an advanced cultural mindset that underscores the benefits of exposing students to the skilled trades and pride in workmanship, as early as possible.

For generations of job seekers that value home ownership, flexibility, good compensation, and the opportunity to advance, they will find that they can achieve their lifelong goals by making a career in construction.

This article appeared in the fall edition of BuildForce Magazine.