Skill Trade is the new solution to "Unemployment"

In society, skilled trades have long been devalued and disregarded. This article examines the possible drawbacks of upholding the status quo as well as the effects it will have on coming generations. It looks at what leaders and educational institutions can do to alleviate the scarcity of qualified workers and how changing Manitoba's graduation standards will open up more employment options for all students. The intention is to increase information technology, literacy, numeracy, and skilled trades training while bringing them into the discussion at every grade level.

There exists a pervasive social stigma attached to engaging in skilled craft employment. People who have an interest in skilled trades are sometimes thought of as less intelligent students. This stigma is not limited to the surface level; it even permeates higher education, as some academics either downplay or are ignorant of the employment options available in the skilled trades (Rothwell, 2016). To overcome the stigma and give students hope that a career in the skilled trades is something they should pursue further, a few common myths need to be dispelled. The most common misunderstanding is probably that those who choose to work in skilled trades are less successful academics than their peers who intend to attend college (Suttles, 2020).

Responding to Skill Shortages

In my experience, schools lack the ability to respond quickly to current skilled trade shortages. It can take years for new programs and curriculum to be developed, shops to be built, and staff to be found. Generally, there is a reluctance to attempt to change any programs found in schools, even if they are not meeting the current skills shortage demand. Far too often, a school’s infrastructure, teacher experience, and popularity are the sole determining factors of which programs are offered in a school (Hoftijizer et al., 2018). Administrators, often with no trade experience, decide on what programs to offer in schools, without consultation from industry representatives.

These are often chosen based on how expensive they are to run, not whether they fill a skill shortage. This can lead to vocational programs that vary quite substantially in quality, without meeting the entry requirements for post-secondary skilled trade programs (Green & Pensiero, 2016). Decisions like this, void of industry input, could mean that students are taking programs that are perhaps not in demand, and offer little hope of employment upon completion. Addressing how schools respond to skills shortages requires collaboration amongst various stakeholders. It means starting with a common goal, and involving all industry partners in the creation of programs to ensure that all are bought in to the process (Hoftijzer et al., 2018). It also means having industry partners do some of the training on behalf of local schools in a costshared proposal if schools cannot secure the necessary funding.

This, unfortunately, is quite common because most school funding is outdated and based solely on student numbers (Hoftijzer et al., 2018). This funding model is detrimental to skills programs because class size numbers are usually restricted for safety purposes. Perhaps the future of skilled trades training means an acceptance of cost sharing to fund these trade classrooms, due to the initial cost and magnitude of such programs. If in return, these industry partners want to advertise in the school system, then we must be willing to accommodate this request. These skilled trade areas want a skilled force to meet the demand they are seeing, and we must be willing to partner with them for students to be well prepared.

Importance of Partnerships

Creating Partnerships The last two years of remote learning due to Covid-19, has exaggerated the current shortage of skilled trade workers. Most work-based learning opportunities were cancelled or put on hold during this time. The decision to halt these work experiences created further obstacles for those interested in the trades because much of the learning for the skilled trade programs takes place on actual job sites during work experience. Students learn specific skills such as working in teams, problem solving, and communication skills (Hoftijizer et al., 2018). The vocational teachers I work with indicated that they struggled to replicate this type of hands-on learning during remote learning.

This prevented skilled trade students from developing creative solutions and “learning by doing” (Battistelli et al., 2019, p. 364). These are essential skills that all skilled trades students require to progress through their apprenticeships. The decisions to halt work placements put skilled trade students at a disadvantage. The learning that takes place away from the classroom is unique, and gives potential employers a chance to see both a student’s ability and work ethic. Students discover very quickly that the learning environment differs quite substantially between schools and work (Schaap et al., 2012).

Without these work-based learning opportunities, the skills shortage problem will only worsen, and the consequences will be far reaching for all of us. To increase work-based learning opportunities, educational leaders and provincial government authorities need to remove barriers that hinder an employer’s ability to have students on the job, and provide incentives for partnerships (Hoftijizer et al., 2018). Work-based learning provides many benefits to students beyond just graduating from high school. Recent studies have shown that working in the trades has assisted those in long-term addiction facilities because it benefits them both physically and mentally (Best et al., 2016). With the ever-increasing number of students who struggle with their mental wellness, skilled trades training could potentially offer an alternative to other treatments. Recent decisions like Apprenticeship Manitoba’s (n.d.) decision to increase the trade ratio from one-to-one, to two-to-one is the first step to creating more work-based opportunities for high school students.

Furthermore, various levels of government must take additional steps, such as providing more monetary incentives for employers to offset the financial strain they feel when employing young workers. Without these incentives, many employers cannot afford to wait until young workers provide a cost benefit to their bottom line.

Conclusion

Much of the focus in recent years has revolved around educational topics such as numeracy, literacy, and information and communication technology. Forgotten in much of this is a skilled trade shortage that has continued to build to record levels. With an aging skilled workforce, coupled with a rising demand for skilled workers, the skilled trades shortage problem does not appear to be going away anytime soon (Günther, 2014). To assume that enough students will eventually find their way to a career in the skilled trades without intervention is a flawed way of thinking. Regardless of a student’s desired occupational path, everyone should be exposed to unique and diversified training (Baartman et al., 2018).

If we are serious about addressing a skills shortage, then we need to breathe new life into skilled trades training, including work-based training, in all schools as a first step (The Guardian, 2020). The educational system needs to be a leader in this initiative. Skilled trade careers deserve the same recognition as other careers.

If the problem is ignored any longer, it may become too big for any meaningful change to happen. Failing to act could have dire consequences for all of us, because skilled trades people are who keep our vehicles running, build our homes, and maintain the infrastructure that we all depend upon.