It's no secret, Canada needs more tradespeople.
According to a recently released StatsCanada report, from 2019 to 2023, an estimated 67,000 new journeypersons will need to sustain workforce certification levels across the 10 largest Red Seal trades in Canada while another 167,739 apprentices need to be attracted to the field. Thompson Rivers University Dean of Trades and Technology Baldev Pooni believes the shortage in the workforce could come from a less than stellar economy.
"There is an increase in people retiring, also people are shifting jobs, and that sort of thing so we are needing lots of new apprentices," said Pooni. "Just like you saw in about 2008-2009 when there was a significant drop because of the economic conditions, we're seeing a significant drop from about 2014 up to now in a significant way, affected by what's happening in Alberta in terms of apprenticeship."
"So you've got this dip in demand in terms of the people getting into the trades and then in 2009 we saw the economy swing around again and the number of registration in apprenticeships went up as well. With this decline that we're starting to see now, if we also see a further surge in the economy in term of Alberta and so on, we won't be short on a number of journeymen and apprentices needed."
Pooni adds that a way to combat the shortages is to enlist residents who haven't always been looked at as "traditional" tradespeople.
"We're trying to attract an appeal to a broader population to get into the trades than from the normal population, cause there are very few women in the trades, only like 4%. We have launched a number of programs to try and attract more women into trades and welcome more diversity by opening up trades to new immigrants as well. People with sort of 'disabilities' that may not have considered a trades career before, we're looking at that as well, just expanding the pool."
"My final point is, we're reaching into the high schools, trying to get kids interested in trades earlier in their high school years. We're delivering programs where they can do a skilled trade and their completion gives them dual credit, which is credits towards high school graduation as well as a post-secondary skilled trades qualification."
The report shows that, in BC, welders and pipefitters have seen the most decline, something Pooni believes will change with the announcement of so many projects moving forward in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
"I think the resource sector has seen something of a hit, but it is seeing a bit of a rebound. We've got some major construction projects happening, infrastructure projects happening in BC, as well as the resource sector. The go-ahead again for the pipeline will have an immense effect on welders, pipefitters, and millwrights so that's an upsurge."
"All of this will generate activity... While you might look at that and say 'well, it's happening in the lower mainland,' trades is a very mobile workforce because it has Red Seal programs and anyone can work anywhere across the country, no questions asked when you have a Red Seal, so if you can move across the country you can definitely have mobility within the province. These major infrastructure project will have major impacts throughout the province and create growth and opportunities everywhere."
