Skilled trades are vital for sustaining Canada’s economic growth. However, they are often overlooked by Canadians entering the workforce. The best way to enter the skilled trades is through apprenticeship training, which offers advanced training through on-the-job experience and technical instruction, leading to formal certification.
Often, the construction industry is misinterpreted as demanding, and an unsafe environment. These myths and misperceptions show people’s limited awareness of technologies that tradespeople use today. In addition, to changes in the legal framework that give safety protocols high priority in the workplace. In today’s blog, we will examine four reasons why you should consider a career in the skilled trades.
Diverse Job Opportunities
A misperception about the skilled trades is that you must be physically strong to be successful. However, the reality is that technological advancements have alleviated a lot of the need for physical strength in the industry. Some trades still may be physically demanding, and require lots of standing, kneeling, and lifting. However, like most jobs, conditioning for the environment you are working in will come with time and experience. In exploring your options in the skilled trades, you will find that there are many jobs that do not require brute strength. In the instances where heavy lifting is required, modern technologies are there to support you, while improving safety. There are over 300 designated trades jobs in Canada, that could potentially be your career.
2. Earn as You Learn
Apprentices can start earning money as soon as they complete high school. Going into a skilled trade as an apprentice means you will begin acquiring job experience and training almost immediately. You get paid for working during your apprenticeship, and 80 to 85% of your training is on the job. An added advantage of this is that you can complete your training debt-free…a perk that very few career paths can offer.
3. Job Security
As Canada’s population ages, many in the construction workforce are nearing the age for retirement. With the old guard filtering out of the industry, there is a massive gap that necessitates fresh talented tradespeople. Employment opportunities within the skilled trades are recession-resilient, due to a heavy focus on construction and urban sprawl. For example, electricians can work in industrial buildings, residential homes, or maintenance companies. According to Buildforce‘s 10-year Workforce Outlook for Ontario, the construction industry will need to hire, train, and retain more than 116 200 workers to keep pace with Ontario’s expected growth and replace 21% of the current workforce expected to retire.
4. Lucrative Salaries
Despite the minimum wage in Canada being comfortable enough for most people, majority of us want to maximize our earning potential. In construction specifically, skilled trades earn more than the average Canadian. Statistics Canada reports the average salary for a construction worker is $61, 762 per year. The earning potential for someone in the skilled trades can increase exponentially as they progress during their apprenticeship and finally become a journeyperson. In addition, to demanding the highest possible compensation packages, journeypersons can move into consultation, further increasing their earning potential and providing other opportunities to earn inside and outside the field.
In Conclusion
If you are looking for a career path that offers a competitive salary, job security, and diversity consider going into a skilled trade. Trades for Tomorrow is here to help support apprentices and employers as we look to grow the construction industry.