Skilled Trades Blog

As a high school student nearing graduation, it's time to start thinking about the next step you should be taking. Most resources for post-secondary choices only list public universities or colleges, and often encourage students to get their diploma or degree. While this is a path many students take and enjoy, it's not for everyone.

Photo courtesy of CKWS Newswatch

This is the kind of program we love seeing! 

For the past 25 years, Limestone School Board in Kingston, Ontario has offered a building construction internship program to their students, and last semester, these students worked alongside skilled trades people to build homes in an area subdivision. 

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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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If you've already think a skilled trades job might be for you, it's important to know where to begin. There is no point in pursuing a career that you have thought about without actually understand what the job or the training entails. You wouldn't want to invest the time and money into training only to find out this isn't the career choice you thought it would be. And so, we are launching a short series — a step-by-step guide, if you will — about how to kick start a career in the trades. 

Whether you are a soon-to-be high school graduate trying to figure out what to do with your life or someone who just wants to pursue something new, let this be your guide to starting your new career in the skilled trades.

Step 2: Get educated

Once you've decided that a hands-on career in the skilled trades is for you, finding out what certification you need is essential to your success. Get into research mode and start finding the trades schools that offer the education you need for the career you want. 

ESTIMATED READING TIME: 3 MINUTES

If you've already think a skilled trades job might be for you, it's important to know where to begin. There is no point in pursuing a career that you have thought about without actually understand what the job or the training entails. You wouldn't want to invest the time and money into training only to find out this isn't the career choice you thought it would be. And so, we are launching a short series — a step-by-step guide, if you will —about how to kickstart a career in the trades. 

Whether you are a soon-to-be high school graduate trying to figure out what to do with your life or someone who just wants to pursue something new, let this be your guide to starting your new career in the skilled trades.

ESTIMATED READING TIME: 3 MINUTES

It isn't a secret that high school students need a little guidance when it comes to makig decisions that will impact the rest of their lives. Not many young people know with 100% certainty what it is they want to do "when they grow up" and choosing the best route after high school can be an intimidating decision. They rely on teachers, parents and their peers to help make that decision-making process easier, but what if they aren't getting all the facts? 

Recently, the Canadian Apprenticehip Forum (CAF) released a report that states that 91 percent of educators know that skilled trades workers are always needed and therefore recognize the importance of connecting students with activities and data to properly inform them of the options available. On top of that, the survey revealed that 93 percent of teachers across the country are now encouraging students to consider a career in the skilled trades.

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For the last 15 years, it has been all about working in the business world. People were going to university and studying to achieve that corner office job. Now, youth still think that's where the good jobs are, even though there are fewer opportunities. The job market is definitely in recovery mode after our economy's nosedive but university graduates are not seeing the same success as they used to. It's time young people started looking at other options for steady well-paying jobs.

Skilled trades jobs are the alternative young people should be considering. They are on par with those office jobs that used to be so desirable — we've already talked about the myths that need busting. The simple reality is that skilled trades need to be better promoted as viable options to young people so that they can make informed decisions about the post-secondary education they pursue and the jobs that will be waiting for them.

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Despite Canada's shortage of skilled trades workers (some have even called it a crisis), people seem to overlook the value in a skilled trades education and career. In fact, the common misconception is that skilled trades people couldn't cut it in a traditional post-secondary education. As we've said before, that is simply untrue. If you were to ask a university graduate to fix a furnace, they would be completely out of their depth. So why is the value of the skilled trades so often overlooked?

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When you are trying to decide where to get your Gas Technician license, you want to make sure you are getting the best education available. After all, if you want a rewarding career, the training you choose is the first step to success. But what is it that you should look for in your skilled trades education? It all starts with the school and what it has to offer.