Skilled Trades Blog

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Last week, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) published a new report exploring the benefits of a career in the skilled trades. The report shows that although many parents and youth have stated that they believe that skilled trades job opportunities in Canada are limited, the opposite is true: career opportunities in the trades are progressing.

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When you decide to get the education you need for the career you want, there is a lot to consider. Which course is right for you? How much time do you have to devote to training? What kind of careers can you get with your new skill set?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get at the Niagara and Halton Skilled Trades Academies is, "Are there any skilled trades funding options available?" The good news is, the answer is YES!

We understand that the cost of career training in the skilled trades can be the ultimate deciding factor for many. Despite the prospective wage that waits for you upon completion of your skilled trades education, the upfront investment is high, we get that. Luckily there are funding programs available for adult education courses, it's just a matter of being aware of them and applying.

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We are well into fall here in Ontario, and with the end of the summer comes the end of swimming pool season. And while for many, that simply means finding new ways to spend your time (no more floating on hot summer days!), for others it means work grinds to a halt. We're talking about those who spend the spring and summer months working in the swimming pool industry, opening, maintaining, repairing and closing pools.

While this is a very enjoyable career, once the cold weather hits, your options are to find temporary employment, work very limited hours or 6 months of unemployment. What better way to spend those 6 months than getting trained for a new career in the skilled trades?

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The oil and gas industry employs around 500,000 Canadians, and that number is predicted to increase over the next five to ten years as energy demands increase and baby boomers retire. With Canada having the second largest oil reserve in the world after Saudi Arabia, our country is expected to play an important role to meet the global demands for energy, with demand expected to rise by 50% between now and 2030. And a bigger demand means more oil and gas jobs.

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Completing your gas technician license is a step in the right direction to becoming fully certified as a Gas Technician ready to enter the workforce. Getting your gas technician license can be a costly and long process, but a private career college will save you time and money and excel your career.

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Skilled trades workers are essential to every aspect of our economy and society, but people are often reluctant to pursue the industry instead believing that a University or College education is the only path to success. This kind of thinking, is misguided as there are many paths to follow on the road to finding a career that fits for you.

A hands-on career requires a hands-on education. There is value to choosing an education for your trade where students are able to concentrate on getting hands-on training. Sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures for 2-4 years no longer makes sense, especially when students could be entering the workforce fully licensed in a trade in as little as four months through hands-on training.  

Here are the benefits of hands-on skilled trades training.

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Ontario post-secondary institutions are seeing a number students drop out before achieving their degree or diploma. While it is true that a number of jobs require some form of higher education, that doesn't always mean a two to four year diploma or degree. There are many rewarding and good-paying jobs that require other forms of certification or training — many of those careers are in the skilled trades.

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When people are considering a career path, there are always reasons not to do something. Figuring out what you want to do and what you like to do isn't the hard part. If working in the skilled trades is something that you would enjoy, you probably already have an idea that that's the career for you. The problem is overcoming the obstacles to get there. What is holding you back from pursuing a career in the skilled trades?

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In our last installment of our Trade School vs. Traditional Education series, we talked about what to look for in the right Ontario trade school. Today, we're exploring exactly what it means when you decide to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

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With high school graduation right around the corner, many grade twelve students have started making plans for September. But, there are some graduates out there that may be thinking that taking a year off to work while they decide on a career is their best option. After all, who wants to commit to years of education only to find out the career wait for you at the end isn't what you thought it would be?

As the demand for skilled workers rises, so has enrollment in many college trades courses — as has the tuition. But if you find the right trade school, you can save thousands of dollars and years of time. You won't have to enroll in a 2-4 year course that costs $5000+ a year (coming in at $10,000 to $20,000 total). In fact, you can complete a course at a fraction of the cost and be ready to work in just 17 weeks.

The key is to choose the right school to get certified.