With about 1.3 million Ontarians working in a skilled trades-related profession, at least one in three are aged 55 or over (Government of Ontario, 2023). As a result of the pandemic, Canada’s apprenticeship systems showed the largest decline in registrations and certifications in 2020 since the program began in 1991, with a 28.5% decrease in apprenticeship registrations and a 31.5% decrease in certification from 2019 (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2022). A report released by Employment and Social Development Canada indicates that by 2028, there will be 700,000 skilled trade workers expected to retire. This aging workforce has pushed Ontario to take immediate action and reduce the skilled trades gap, which has led to the establishment of Skilled Trades Ontario through the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, an agency of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skilled Development (Government of Ontario, 2023). In 2023, there was a 24% increase in trades apprenticeship registrations and a 28% increase in registration among women (Government of Ontario, 2023). Historically and traditionally, the skilled trades are a male-dominated sector with women being disproportionately underrepresented. In Canada, around 7% of trade workers are women and, in Ontario, they make up about 8% of trade workers, with over 80% of them being hairstylists, bakers, and cooks (Amery & Dubois, 2021; Statistics Canada, 2023).
Skilled Trades Ontario leads the research and development of all apprenticeship programs, including their standards, examinations, and certifications within Ontario colleges. They determine the number of experience hours needed for each apprenticeship, which varies from trade to trade, alongside course schedules, attendance rules, and more. The regulation of apprenticeships and course programming leaves little room for students to alter their academic journey (e.g., changing schedules, dropping classes, occasional absences) and factor in outside influences (e.g., transportation/travel, family, sleep, work, mental health, accommodations). With students being on campus for noticeably short amounts of time to complete their coursework, they often have very packed schedules. Having packed and unchangeable schedules can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for students, especially when considering outside influencing factors. Consequently, campus staff must navigate these rigid student schedules when offering students adequate support for their wellbeing, which can be extremely difficult.
For more information on stress and anxiety, check out CICMH’s Stress and Anxiety infosheet here and Managing Stress and Loneliness course here.
The skilled trades require a certain set of skills, knowledge, and/or abilities and are usually affiliated with hands-on jobs within the electrical, manufacturing, automotive, building, service, and mechanical industries, employing around 20% of Canadians (Finnie et al., 2021; McCann School of Business and Technology, 2023; Skilled Trades Ontario, 2024).
Trades in Ontario are traditionally categorized into four sections (Chatoor & Kaufman, 2020):
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Industrial – including truck drivers, cabinet makers, welders, metal fabricators, draftspersons, and tool and dye makers. |  |
Construction– including masons, ironworkers, painters, boilermakers, roofers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, and sheet metal workers. |
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Service – including bakers, hairstylists, arborists, bakers, child and youth workers, horticultural technicians, and developmental-service workers. |  |
Motive-power – including small-engine technicians, auto-body workers, truck and trailer service workers, and heavy-duty equipment mechanics. |
In Ontario, there are 23 compulsory trades (requires certification or registration as an apprentice), and 121 non-compulsory trades (does not require certification) (Skilled Trades Ontario, 2024). A full list of compulsory and non-compulsory trades professions can be found here.
