The Labour Shortage: Easily Secure Your Career and Finances By Working In A Skilled Trade

Are you struggling with career choices and don’t want to go into debt to learn new skills? Consider learning a trade. They’re in high demand in Canada, so job security is nearly guaranteed.

AI won’t steal these jobs, and you can start at any time!

There Isn’t Enough Skilled Labor to Meet the High Demand

It’s no secret that there is a current shortage of skilled tradespeople. Because skilled labour is in such high demand, Canada is concerned that the supply won’t keep up. In fact, the manufacturing industry will need an additional 3.8 million workers by 2033.

According to DAP Canada, “The demand for new talent has never been more urgent.” So, people are going to have to find better hiring strategies, like searching and making a Request on the GetAssist Business Directory or posting a Job on the GetAssist Business Network Job Board.

Why Is There A Skilled Labour Shortage?

Randstad states that “700,000 skilled workers will retire by 2028.” That’s a lot of shoes to fill!

Not many people seem to want to. There are perceptions that the trades aren’t for all demographics.

We Aren’t Teaching Gen Z That Trades Are Desirable

Gen Z doesn’t think skilled trades are as prestigious as white-collar jobs. The operations and industrial sectors need this to change. Furthermore, fewer parents and teachers are encouraging the youth to pursue the trades.

Male-Dominated Work

In both Canada and the U.S., only 5% of skilled tradespeople are women. They believe that although they have to prove themselves more than men in the same field, they receive high wages and fulfillment. They also believe that a significant barrier for women in the field is the perception, from a young age, that they can’t participate.

The YATT Questionnaire

The Youth Attitudes Toward the Trades (YATT) Questionnaire in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that the majority of students interested in pursuing trades were non-immigrant males with lower average levels of math and reading proficiency. The boys who were less likely to pursue trades:

Had strong reading skills
Had a socio-economically advantaged family
Was an immigrant
Self-identified as Indigenous
Had a higher sense of belonging in their school communities

AI Won’t Take Over Skilled Trades

Approximately 92 million jobs, eight percent of employment, will be gone by 2030. Fortunately, skilled labour is both recession-proof and future-proof because while AI is taking millions of white-collar jobs, it won’t touch the trades. AI can’t fix your air conditioner or rewire the electrical systems that power it.

Ironically, AI queries require servers housed in data centers, which in turn require electricians, HVAC services, and construction workers. The more automated work, the more we need tradespeople to maintain the digital economy.

Trades require quick judgment and physical skill: two features AI doesn’t have.

It’s Not Too Late to Start

You don’t have to be young to start your career as a journeyman. In fact, only 25% of apprentices in Ontario are still in high school, and the average age of an apprentice is 26-28 years old. So, even if you’re older, if unemployment is high, and apprenticeships are paid, what is there to lose?

High Earnings

Strangely, there’s a myth that skilled trade workers don’t make a decent living. The truth is, they earn a higher salary than the national average and get paid during apprenticeships, which is more financially beneficial than going into debt during college and having to wait 4 or more years to get real pay and experience. Furthermore, there is an increase in training and funding programs to obtain a trade education.

Get Paid Higher Than the National Average

The national average salary in Canada is about $70,000. For trades, the median salary is $79, 356.

Depending on which skill you commit to, you can make even more. For example, senior electricians make $106,861.

Get Paid To Learn

In Canada, you are paid during an apprenticeship, with pay increasing as you get closer to your certification. The average apprentice makes $58,000 a year.

Getting Certified

Some people think that trades are for people who can’t handle college, like a last resort. The joke is on them: Really, they’re for people who want to make money off the bat without going into debt.

This is not taking the easy way out. You still have to work your way up, often at an apprenticeship.

Five Certifications You Can Earn Quickly

If you need career redirection ASAP, check out these certifications that you can quickly obtain:

It takes 9-20 months to obtain a medical coder certification.
It takes two semesters (less than one year) to become a phlebotomist.
Diesel mechanics need either an associate degree, which takes 2 years to complete, or a certification, which takes only 6 months.
Just the same, HVAC technicians can spend about 6 months earning a certification or spend 2 years earning an associate degree.
It takes about six months to become a certified truck driver.

GetAssist Can Help You Meet the High Demand Right Where You Are!

GetAssist is committed to making it easier for skilled tradespeople to find local clients who need their expertise. They can make a Request for any local professional within their budget on the GetAssist Business Directory. This is equally beneficial for contractors who are struggling to find help due to the trade shortage!

Skilled trades workers should be considered essential workers because, without them, infrastructure would deteriorate. Course Compare describes fulfillment in the industry: “Earning a living working with your hands, solving problems on the fly, and being the only person on-site who can fix things are some of the most rewarding jobs you can have.”

So, future-proof your career and finances; learn a skilled trade! Try for an apprenticeship or an associates degree during the skilled labour shortage. And remember, GetAssist is here to support you in every phase of your career!