CREDIT: CBC NEWS
Skilled trades workers are in high demand locally, provincially and across Canada, and Ontario's Jobs and Prosperity Council is working on promoting the benefits of a career in the skilled trades.

When you were a senior in high school, you were faced with the tough decision of trying to figure out what to study, where to study, and, in short, what to do with your life. Parents often stress the importance of a college or university education and secretly hope that their teens will head off to become doctors or lawyers. But what about skilled trades?

The perception of a skilled trade job may be distorted and seemingly undesirable by parents and their high school grads. The government of Ontario is trying to change that.

Ontario's Jobs and Prosperity Council recently released their "Advantage Ontario" report, which stresses a need to place stronger emphasis on skilled trades in Ontario when it comes to education and experiential learning. The report identifies five key areas for action: going global; driving productivity growth; unleashing innovation and entrepreneurship; capitalizing on strength in talent; and delivering smart, efficient government.

The Council wrote that it believes that "it is the responsibility of business, government and the education sector to develop and disseminate up-to-date information on labour market opportunities and make it available when students are making decisions about what career path they will take."

Jobs in the skilled trades can be very valuable to both the employee and society. Most trade jobs offer competitive wages. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007, employees in the trades averaged $22.36 in hourly earnings, six per cent higher than the $21.02 for other occupations. So why has the number of skilled trade workers in Ontario been low?

A study conducted in 2004 by Skills Canada and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum found that 60 per cent of youth reported that their parents have not encouraged them to consider a career in trades. It didn't state why, but skilled trades are sometimes associated with negative connotations such as less education, high stress and low pay. It seems that Ontario needs a better understanding of what the skilled trade industry has to offer, as the report states, "Ontario's youth and their parents are often unaware of job opportunities in the skilled trades and the variety of educational programs that can prepare them for these jobs."

The Council is also calling on the private sector to create more experiential learning opportunities for secondary and post-secondary students with more co-ops, work placements and apprenticeships.

"Leadership cannot come from government alone. Ensuring Ontario's competitiveness and prosperity will require strong action from all sectors. Business will have a strong role to play," said Gord Nixon, chair of the Council.

The Council will meet again in December to review progress by the government, business sector and academia and provide information to Ontarians.