Canadian provinces are collaborating to address the country’s critical shortage of skilled trades workers. They focus on harmonizing training and certification standards and ensuring that internationally skilled tradespeople can hit the ground running as they contribute to the workforce. The goal is to remove barriers and streamline the system.
The provinces recognize the need for an interprovincial approach to solving the problem of mobility, which would allow tradespeople to move and work where they are needed.
Interprovincial Collaboration
The Ontario and Nova Scotia governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve interprovincial mobility for tradespeople, which included post-journeyman certification.
The two provinces share the goal of promoting certification, creating opportunities, and removing barriers to growth in the skills trade ecosystem.
“We are making bold decisions to make it easier to assess qualified professionals and improve labour supply fairly,” said Nova Scotia’s Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, Jill Balser.
Kim Kennedy, COO of Nova Scotia’s Apprenticeship Agency, sums up the key reasons behind the agreement with Ontario. “We need more skilled trades professionals to help build our province faster. Recognizing the experience and training of newcomers to the province is a solid step in ensuring all international skilled trades professionals can work in Nova Scotia as soon as they arrive so they can build a life here. By partnering with Ontario, we can work together to ensure the process is quicker and more seamless for newcomers.”
Ontario partnered with Alberta in a similar arrangement earlier in July. “With this MOU, Ontario and Alberta will work together to build a stronger skilled trades workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Ontario’s Skilled Trades Special Advisor, Dave Cassidy.
Alberta’s Integrated Skilled Trades Initiative provides language training and cultural orientation to ensure international workers are fully prepared to enter the Canadian job market.
Ontario Construction reports that Ontario and Alberta are working together on a framework for international credential recognition for skilled trades. This will include sharing information and expertise to expand the international credential recognition process and support the mobility of internationally skilled workers.
“The new MOU is reflective of our agency’s ongoing efforts to align Ontario’s apprenticeship program with Red Seal trades across Canada,” said Melissa Young, CEO of Skilled Trades, Ontario.
Ontario is also working with Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Labrador to reduce interprovincial barriers and streamline the integration of qualified tradespeople into the labour market.
Arrivals Versus Vacancies
In 2022, when the federal government announced an increase to 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025, representatives from the construction and manufacturing industries applauded the increase. Still, they cautioned that more needed to be done to ensure that some newcomers knew how to work in construction.
Only 450 people were admitted to Canada through the Federal Skilled Trades Program in 2022, down from 500 in 2021 and 565 in 2020. This compares to 4,865 vacancies for electricians, 4,010 for plumbers, pipefitters, and gas fitters, and 9,101 for carpenters. Although these are figures for Canada, every province is affected.
Even if the provinces recognize foreign experience, CIBC estimates that only 2 or 3 percent of newcomers to Canada over the last decade have arrived with skilled trade qualifications.
Differences in training requirements across provinces have created barriers for workers seeking to complete their apprenticeships or continue their careers in other regions.
However, the Red Seal Program is a national standard of excellence for tradespeople in Canada. It allows qualified tradespeople to practice their craft anywhere in the country without undergoing additional testing or certification processes.
Under the Express Entry system, the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is specifically designed to attract skilled tradespeople worldwide. The program prioritizes candidates with relevant work experience and a job offer from a Canadian employer, allowing them to receive permanent residency and begin working quickly.
Fair Assessment
In addition, provinces like Ontario and Quebec have implemented their programs to streamline the integration of international trades workers. Ontario’s Fairness Commissioner, for example, works with regulatory bodies to ensure that foreign credentials are assessed fairly and promptly. This reduces the waiting time for international tradespeople to work in their field, addressing immediate labour shortages.
Provinces’ harmonization efforts aim to align curriculum standards, training hours, and certification processes, streamlining the path to becoming a certified tradesperson in Canada.
The government of Canada is investing significantly in breaking down barriers and helping apprentices. Tradespeople acquire the skills they need to succeed and pursue promising careers in skilled trades.
At the provincial level, Ontario’s new Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training program (FAST) will supplement existing high school “pre-apprenticeship” pathways like the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, which participants can enter from age 15. Other provinces can replicate this system, like German-style secondary education.
Vocational training in Germany is recognised worldwide because it combines theory in the classroom with training in a real-life work environment. Apprentices receive market-relevant training that improves their chances in an evolving labour market.
Attractive Pay
Paycheques for the trade skills are appealing during a cost-of-living crisis. Plumbers earn a median of $33 an hour. Welders make an average of $38 an hour in Alberta. Industrial electricians make, on average, $38.50, with highs in the $50 to $62 range, depending on the region. And because apprenticeships are paid positions, young tradespeople start their careers without student debt. President of an association of manufacturers, Dennis Darby, advises young people deciding on a job to choose a trade could one day lead to employers “begging you to stay.”
It is crucial that Canada and the provinces continue investing in interprovincial collaboration, international recruitment, and ongoing support for both domestic and international tradespeople.
Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of credential recognition for international tradespeople will be crucial to tapping into this valuable source of talent.
A multifaceted approach is necessary to address the shortage of skilled trades in Canada. By continuing to enhance interprovincial collaboration and support the integration of international tradespeople, Canada can build a more resilient and flexible workforce ready to meet future challenges. These efforts will not only help to close the gap in the skilled trades sector but will also contribute to the overall economic prosperity of the nation.
