New Advisory Committee to Promote Well-Paying Careers in Skilled Trades for Young Canadians

Aug 16, 2019

Whether building homes, repairing vehicles, or powering our communities, people in the skilled trades provide services Canadians rely on every single day. The federal government announced funding to help more people, as part of their 2019 budget – including young people and underrepresented groups, like women – pursue a career in the skilled trades.

Justin Trudeau, announced the creation of a new advisory committee to help promote apprenticeships and skilled trades across Canada.

The advisory committee currently includes the following members, with further announcements to come:

• Mandy Rennehan, Founder and CEO of Freshco
• Jamie McMillan, Ironworker and Founder of KickAss Careers
• Matt Wayland, Executive Assistant to the International Vice-President and Canadian Director of Government Relations for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

The advisory committee will lay the groundwork for a national campaign to encourage apprenticeships and promote the skilled trades as a career of choice. They will lead consultations, explore partnerships, and provide advice to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.

Quick Facts

• In Budget 2019, the Government of Canada announced $6 million over two years to create a national campaign to promote skilled trades to young people.
• Canada will need 67,000 new journeypersons to sustain our workforce in the 10 largest Red Seal trades by 2023.
• Young women continue to be less likely than young men to express interest in a career in the skilled trades. According to an OECD survey, only 2 percent of 15-year-old female students were planning to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

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