Ontario Construction News staff writer
With more than 700,000 skilled trades workers expected to retire in Canada by 2028, the Government of Canada has announced over $33 million over five years for the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness (STAR) program.
The STAR program encourages Canadians—particularly those facing barriers, such as women, Indigenous people, visible minorities, newcomers, persons with disabilities and youth—to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades.
“Canada needs more skilled trades workers. We need more women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized Canadians, LGBTQ2S+ people and other marginalized people to consider a career in the trades, and to have the opportunity to start one,” said Carla Qualtrough, federal minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion. “That’s why we’re investing in projects like GRiT and other initiatives across Canada that are helping to create a strong, skilled and diverse workforce in the trades.”
Qualtrough highlighted $2.8 million in funding to Selections Career Support Services for GRiT, supporting youth with disabilities to overcome barriers to relevant training and meaningful employment within the skilled trades. GRiT will help youth pre-apprentices with disabilities in providing flexible and individualized career plans, skills enhancement and work experience opportunities to empower them to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades.
“The Get Ready in Trades project has been instrumental to Selections for the plethora of opportunities it has afforded to youth with disabilities who now have an opportunity to begin a career in the trades,” said Angie Amaris, executive director of Selections Career Support Services, Angie Amaris. “This funding enables the organization to diversify services, create awareness and promote inclusion, which impacts our community in a meaningful way. The fundamental objective of the Get Ready in Trades program is to empower our youth to be a part of the future skilled trades workforce while contributing to a growing economy.”
A total of $247 million has announced for 13 projects under the Apprenticeship Service that will help small and medium-sized enterprises hire more than 25,000 first-year Red Seal apprentices and provide them with the hands-on experience and training they need to become certified journeypersons.
According to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, to meet the demand for skilled journeypersons in Red Seal Trades, an average of around 75,000 new apprentices will need to be hired per year in the next five years. Top trades most at risk of not meeting the demand include welder, industrial mechanic (millwright), bricklayer, boilermaker, cook and hairstylist.
Demand for construction trades is likely to remain high. A Buildforce Canada study showed the industry needs to recruit 309,000 new construction workers over the next decade (2021 to 2030), driven predominantly by the expected retirement of 259,100 workers (22% of the current labour force).