Features
Sustainability
Water Issues
How do youth perceive the skilled trades?
October 11, 2013 By Administrator
Oct. 11, 2013, Ottawa – A new report reveals the way Canadian youth perceive skilled trades.
In the Apprenticeship
Analysis: Youth Perceptions of Careers in the Skilled Trades report, Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage
(CAF-FCA)
documents the findings of a national survey with more than 800 students
across Canada in spring 2013. CAF-FCA compares these results to findings from a
parallel investigation in 2004.
Current
and anticipated skills shortages, combined with a demographic crunch as
baby boomers retire, have raised expectations around recruiting the
next generation workforce. An important element of attracting young
people to the skilled trades is understanding how their perceptions and
attitudes affect career decisions.
“CAF-FCA members have placed a
high priority on raising awareness among young people about
apprenticeship, trade certification and career opportunities in the
skilled trades. Apprenticeship remains a first-choice solution to
addressing skills shortages,” said Sarah Watts-Rynard, executive director of CAF-FCA, in a media statement. “Over the last decade, the apprenticeship
community has expended tremendous resources on this effort. Gauging how
youth perceive the trades today tells us where we’ve seen successes and
provides a roadmap to inform future initiatives.”
Survey
results indicate youth are more open to considering a skilled trades
career than they were in past, are more aware of career options, and have
better access to information and value the contribution of tradespeople.
“We
can definitely see improvement in youth awareness and attitudes,”
Watts-Rynard said. “At the same time, we’re seeing the need for
stronger messages around opportunities for women and better outreach to
parents and others who provide career direction to students.”
A
live web event to discuss survey results will be held on Nov. 7 at
1 p.m. ET for CAF-FCA members.
For more information, please visit www.caf-fca.org.
Print this page
