It’s a career that often comes as an afterthought if university or college doesn’t pan out.
But that’s something the Orillia Manufacturers’ Association and Orillia and District Construction Association are hoping to change.
The organizations hosted their annual Explore the Trades event for area Grade 7 to 12 students at Twin Lakes Secondary School Tuesday.
“There’s a very real shortage right now with the baby boomers retiring and not enough people coming into the trades,” said Georgian College’s Philip LeBoeuf.
LeBoeuf works in administration at Georgian College’s Midland campus that normally has about 400 students enrolled in an array of specialized one-year trades and apprenticeship programs.
“There’s still kind of a stigma about the trades and schools tend to promote university (education),” he said.
Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School Grade 10 student Avery Warboys said since he’s considering entering the trades, Tuesday’s event provided a great opportunity to check out what’s available locally.
“I like working with my hands,” Warboys said as he and a couple of friends experimented with circuit boards. “Today is good because it gets us thinking about a career in trades more.”
His friend, Alexander Ketching, agreed: “I’ve been looking into becoming an electrical engineer. I know it pays well and I find circuits interesting.”
Throughout the day, between 1,200 and 1,500 Orillia and area elementary and secondary school students were expected to arrive to chat with local companies and learn about opportunities in the trades sector.
And, jobs are plentiful for those who are interested, according to LeBoeuf, who noted the nearly 20 recent graduates of the school’s marine mechanic program had their pick from almost 170 job postings across the province.
The lack of qualified workers is something Orillia Tool and CNC knows too well. The tool and die maker that manufactures a range of specialized products for industries such as mining is having trouble these days finding interested apprentices.
“People don’t want to get their hands dirty,” said company representative Jeannette Rich, adding schools aren’t pushing the trades enough as a viable career option, with machine shops in schools more of a rarity nowadays.
“But every machine shop you could walk into, they’re hiring. It’s tough to find somebody who fits us. It would be great to get an apprentice.”
Both the region’s public and separate school boards were represented at Tuesday’s event to promote the trades and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).
“It’s great that students as young as Grade 7 and 8 are here and able to ask questions of employers,” said Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board OYAP consultant Steacy Hinton. “It’s awesome for the kids.”
Many school boards across the province now offer students the chance to enter a skilled-trades co-op to determine if they might want to pursue a trade in the future.
“We have a lot of employers that give opportunities to our students,” said Simcoe County District School Board OYAP co-ordinator Elaine McLachlin.
Rick Rimkey, president of R&F Construction, said it’s important for youth to consider every available career option.
“We’re just trying to get them interested in the trades,” said Rimkey, who had a range of tools available for students to check out.
Twin Lakes Grade 10 student Jacob Milligan is already interested.
“I’d like to be a mechanic,” he said. “I’ve just grown up around cars and working on them. I like it.”
