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Ontario helping graduates find a job in the trades

January 19, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The time after graduating high school can be very daunting for many people as they struggle to decide what they want to do in life.

For some, university or college may be the chosen path, but for others, a career in the trades may be more suitable. The trades have received a lot of interest over the past few years as a way of making a good living in jobs that are in demand.

The province of Ontario’s website lists around 140 different trades that are available in the province that supply training and apprenticeships for people wanting to get into the workforce.

There are different types of trades including construction, industrial trades like welding, motive power trades, and service trades.

The provincial website has information on various jobs including average yearly income, average growth rate, and the number of current openings in those jobs in the province.

If you are interested in a trade but don’t have the skills or experience, you can apply to be an apprentice. There is a pre-apprenticeship training program that also includes a work placement for eight to 12 weeks.

There are programs for youth or adults who have graduated from high school, left before finishing high school, are unemployed or underemployed, are Indigenous, newcomers to Canada, women, Francophone, or youth-at-risk.

If you are in high school, you can earn co-op education credits through work placements in a skilled trade. You can also talk to school guidance councillors to help you find an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, and take courses that match your career goals.

To qualify for an apprenticeship, you must be at least 16 years old, have legal permission to work in Canada, meet the educational requirements for your chosen trade, and have a sponsor in Ontario.

A sponsor is someone who provides you with apprenticeship training. This can be a single employer, an individual, or a group of employers like unions or non-union consortiums.

There are several methods of finding a sponsor, such as, inquiring at colleges, online queries, Employment Ontario, unions or trades associates, or just asking friends and family if they know anyone in the skilled trades and if they are hiring.

The trades can provide a steady and lucrative career with job security and a sense of job satisfaction.

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