New Canadian website to promote careers in trades

Two national organizations, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and Skills/Compétences Canada, have partnered to help solve one of the most pressing problems facing the skilled trades: the growing shortage of new young workers.

The two groups have revamped the popular Careers in Trades website in an effort to ensure  that Canadian youth have to access up-to-date information on skilled trades careers.

“Apprenticeship stakeholders across trades, across sectors and across Canada tell us promoting careers in the skilled trades is a fundamental priority,” said Sarah Watts-Rynard, executive director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. “With skills shortages looming in many trades, ensuring youth and students have opportunities to explore career options in the trades is as important to the Canadian economy as it is to individuals suited to hands-on, well paid and highly-satisfying work.”

The revamped website features step-by-step information on how to take up an apprenticeship, lists the advantages of a career in the trades, and offers youth, educators and parents stories from real apprentices across Canada. Over the next few months, Watts-Rynard said, additional resources for educators and students will also be updated.

The original Careers in Trades website was developed by the two organizations and launched more than five years ago as part of a national career awareness campaign; it remains a popular site for information on the skilled trades in Canada.

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is an inclusive national body that brings together all of the stakeholders in Canada’s apprenticeship community to share common challenges and identify solutions, promote careers and research apprenticeship barriers and best practices.

The new site is at www.careersintrades.ca.