'Someone who's coming through those training programs today needs to have updated skills'
“We're looking at a significant number of skilled trade workers who are retiring, and we are not replacing them fast enough.”
So says Peter Lewis, president and CEO of the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation (CST), who is calling on stakeholders to allocate more investment in education and training for youth to address Canada’s labour shortage.
“We are facing a significant shortage in skilled trade workers,” he says.
About 700,000 skilled trades workers are set to retire between 2019 and 2028, according to the federal government.
Modern trades require modern training
Lewis emphasised that today's skilled trades demand far more than traditional hands-on experience—they require up-to-date technical and academic knowledge.
“The world is changing.”
He notes that an auto mechanic, for example, must now possess modern skills, as many vehicles today are operated through computer systems and software that didn’t exist 15 years ago.
“Someone who's coming through those training programs today needs to have updated skills, and you need to have those types of programs available through community colleges, for example, to deliver on those updated skills.”
Post-secondary education can help equip Canadian youth with the skills they need, says Lewis.
“Skilled tradespeople do have to have a level of post-secondary education… It's not your traditional university or college approach that you'll see, because it's a blend of a work environment as well as an academic program.
“However, that academic program is a vitally important part of the journey that a skilled tradesperson takes as they're growing. And roughly 75 per cent of the training that's provided to people in that process is actually delivered through the community colleges in Canada today.”
But governments should invest in the post-secondary system to ensure there’s appropriate infrastructure and that instructors are well-equipped to deliver the type of training required, he says.
Community colleges must remain agile, updating curricula and training methods to align with industry expectations, Lewis notes.
Previously, the Liberal Party of Canada pledged to provide a new upskilling and training benefit for workers in the middle of their careers who require additional skills training to maintain career stability and success.
Creating positive learning environments
One way that employers can help prepare young Canadians for the world of work is by offering apprenticeship opportunities, says Lewis.
Designing quality training programs is crucial not just to support apprentices through certification, but to retain them as long-term employees, he adds.
“With apprenticeship programs, there's both the academic portion, but they also have a work portion. And [young people] need to have a company that's prepared to hire them as an apprentice, and then someone who's going to actually supervise them through their apprenticeship.”
Lewis believes government should create incentives for employers to expand apprenticeship capacity within their operations—“whether that's through wage subsidies… or whether by loosening some of the rules around how tightly the supervision needs to happen, or how long the supervision needs to happen.”
Employers should also ensure that apprentices have a positive experience to encourage them to remain in the skilled trades, he says.
“If I can design a good program that's going to support them, that makes it a positive experience for them, then I'm more likely going to be able to attract them back in as a full-time employee down the road.”
Good communication, mentorship, and practical experience are essential elements of successful training environments, he adds.
Canadians feel communication and interpersonal skills are the most important areas to upskill in the next 12 months, according to a previous report.
