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An electrician works on wiring a building under construction.By Sabrina Byrnes Metroland file photo
There are huge shortages in various skilled trades right now, says Skills Ontario CEO Ian Howcroft, but that also means there are career opportunities available to people.
He said the areas of greatest need are in the following sectors:
• In food services, chefs and servers are badly needed.
• In manufacturing, there’s a need for electricians, machinists and millwrights.
• And in construction, there’s a need for electricians and carpenters.
Beyond those areas of greatest need, there are also shortages of elevator/escalator operators, as well as in services that were heavily impacted by pandemic shutdowns such as hairstylists.
Howcroft said pandemic restrictions were devastating for the food services industry as many people left in search of jobs that are less susceptible to shutdowns.
“Not only are they still suffering shortages, they have to go back and rebuild and retrain their workforce,” he said.
He said food services includes entry level jobs, such as at fast-food restaurants, but it also includes fine dining, convention centres, high-end hotels, all places that can pay well.
As for the need for electricians, carpenters, machinists and millwrights, while those jobs have not been as impacted by pandemic restrictions, the shortages exist because it takes a long time to train people in those fields, from four to five years, and people start late into those careers, with the average age of an apprentice in Ontario being 28.
He said the province’s move to allow high school students to spend more time in co-op placements as part of their education should help in building up a skilled trades workforce.
“We have to be able to build the future workforce over the next few years, but it’s something that has to start right away,” Howcroft said. “We can’t wait any longer. If we had done more of this 20 years ago, we would be in a better situation.”
A student visitor to a past Skills Ontario Competition for secondary and post-secondary students at the Toronto Congress Centre tries his hand at flux-cored arc welding at the Walters Group booth.
By Metroland file photo
There are 144 skilled trades registered with Ontario’s government and Skills Ontario and other organizations are spreading the word about them.
Throughout the year, Skills Ontario hosts numerous educational programs, “try-a-trade” events, goes into schools to teach students about the trades and more.
From May 6 to 8, it is hosting its 2024 Skills Ontario Competition at the Toronto Congress Centre where some 2,800 students will compete in various trades competitions, and visitors will be able to give the trades a shot.
来源链接：
https://www.toronto.com/news/skilled-trades-in-ontario-what-are-the-industries-and-jobs-in-most-need/article_b41cf469-8608-57b8-b41c-c5cc24d03b8f.html
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