Cambrian College helping meet demand for more skilled trades workers
It has long been reported that there is a shortage of skilled trades workers across Ontario.
Cambrian College in Greater Sudbury is working to help meet that demand for more skilled trades workers. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Post-secondary schools like Cambrian College in Greater Sudbury, are working to help meet that demand. Experts say students now in those programs will easily find a job after graduation.
“We’ve all seen the shortage of construction workers. We have the housing crisis – multi-faceted though it is. Infrastructure needs to be built. So we need carpenters, and construction workers,” said Ian Howcroft, the chief executive officer for Skills Ontario.
“We need electricians, and in the manufacturing sector we need millwrights.”
Skills Ontario works to promote trades to young people who are making those decisions. Howcroft said post-secondary school have become valuable partners in that work.
Cambrian has over 1,000 students currently enrolled in its 17 trades programs.
“We always look at the market demand for the students,” said Darrell Clarke, chair of the School of Skills Training.
“This is why we increased the carpentry program this year. We had a January intake in that one because of the demand for both carpenters going into the field and also for the applicants who want to apply to the carpentry program.”
Most recently, Cambrian was named as one of 12 colleges across Ontario – and the only one in the North – to offer the lucrative Schulich Builders Scholarship for Skilled Trades.
Cambrian will award five students in a one-year trades program with $20,000 and five students in a two-year program with $40,000.
“The average cost of tuition for a trades program is around $4,000 a year, and that varies within the 17 trades programs that are eligible for this scholarship,” said Melanie Cacciotti, executive director of Alumni Development.
“That, in addition to around $2,000-3,000 for books, tools, PPE, other things that students might need. So this $20,000 is significant.”
“We are proud to promote the skilled trades and support students pursuing this rewarding career path,” said Judy Schulich, executive vice president of the Schulich Foundation, in a news release.
“Canadians rely heavily on the trades to build and maintain infrastructure critical for prosperous communities. Our challenge today is not having enough of these talented people to meet the demand.”
Cambrian College students have until the end of June to apply for the scholarship that will be applied for skilled trades programs in September.
For young people trying to decide which trade to pursue, Skills Ontario suggests speaking to a high school guidance counsellor or someone already working in the field, visiting college campuses or even checking out the Skills Ontario Competition this May.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.