New ads showcase skilled trades as a viable first option

With the Ford government saying Ontario faces a lack of skilled works, the province is hoping to attract more people to skilled trades through a series of ads.

Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has launched a marketing campaign to highlight careers in the trades, under the slogan ‘Find a Career You Wouldn’t Trade.’

“We need to do a better job at enticing young people and their parents to the skilled trades,” said Minister Monte McNaughton. “For too long, we haven’t viewed these challenging positions as a viable first option. That needs to change…”

The advertising campaign features footage three skilled trades workers – a tower crane operator, a steamfitter, and an arborist.

The government also announced it is investing approximately $75 million in three programs to expose high school students to the trades: $12.7 million in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, $42 million in the Specialist High Skills major program, and $20.8 million in a pre-apprenticeship program.

“The reality is that the skilled trades offer exciting and challenging careers that often require solid math and problem solving skills, and expose people to the latest technologies such as 3D printing and robotics,” said McNaughton. “When it comes to opportunity to earning potential to having a chance to start your own business, the skilled trades come out on top.”

Over the first nine months of 2019, Ontario employers approximately 200,000 job openings across all occupations and industries on aveage. Of these, 13,000 were in the construction sector.

The ads will run digitally, in movie theatres and on Tim Hortons TVs across the province.