Shortage Of Skilled Workers Hurting Businesses In Simcoe North

MPP Jill Dunlop says government's campaign to promote the skilled trades is a call to action

Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop say a shortage of skilled tradespeople is impacting businesses in her riding.

Dunlop says there are 200,000 skilled trade jobs sitting empty in Ontario.

“In Simcoe North, organizations and companies say they can’t take on additional contracts. They are having to turn contracts away because they just don’t have the employees available.”

While the province-wide shortage covers most skilled trades, Dunlop says in her riding, electricians and welders are in demand.

She says Georgian College in Midland has a welding program and students are being hired right out of the program.

The Ford government has a marketing campaign to encourage more young people to consider a career in the trades. The campaign is called ‘A career you wouldn’t trade.” https://www.ontario.ca/page/skilled-trades

Dunlop says promotion of the skilled trades by her government is critical.

She says the trades have always had a stigma attached to them.

“It has always been looked at as a Plan B. There was college and university and then there was the trades,” says Dunlop. “If you didn’t do well at school, you should do a trade.”

She says the trades are a great paying career.

“A student can graduate and go right to a job or do an apprenticeship and be paid while learning.”

Dunlop has been a strong advocate to encourage more women to consider the trades.

She says women make up only four per cent of the people in skilled trades in Ontario.

“One in three journey persons is over the age of 55. There is a huge crisis coming in the next five years,” says Dunlop. “What a great opportunity for women to get involved and fill that need for skilled employers.

She says kids are now learning about skilled trades from kindergarten through grade 12.

“You are not going to convince a 17 year old female to become an electrician if they have never experienced that in their life.”

She also credits the Progressive Conservatives for knocking down barriers with the apprenticeship system and how to make it a seamless path for workers and employers.

“We want to keep our youth and give them options to stay in the area to work and raise their families.”

banner image: MPP Jill Dunlop, Facebook

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