‘There will be tremendous opportunities’: Skilled trades fair recruits now for the future

Hundreds of kids explored jobs in the skilled trades at the Level Up Career Fair on Wednesday. CTV’s Sean Irvine explains.

Despite a downturn in some sectors, skilled tradespeople contend that demand in their industry remains high and is expected to climb higher.

The comments came during the annual Level Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair taking place through Thursday at the J-AAR Expo Centre Pavilion (formerly the Western Fair Agri-Plex).

The event is designed to draw young people into the trades, but includes a public open house Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

On the surface, it seemed to be working as grade seven and eight students toured the displays.

“I want to be like an engineer when I grow up. And I like how all of this is like hands-on when you actually get to do it,” said one student.

“It’s fun to be in the trades and fun to be hands-on. I’m just more in touch with it, and I can focus better,” added Brayden Miller, a grade eight student.

Engaging young people remains a key priority for skilled trades unions and organizations.

But a slowdown in some sectors is reflected in a drop in the number of booths at the show.

Still, exhibitors contend most skilled trades remain in demand.

“We’re doing very well, but it’s not the record that we were in COVID,” said Mike Carter, the executive director of the London District Construction Association. “What I would suggest right now is that the unemployment rate for construction in southwestern Ontario is about 4.6 per cent,” he added.

But this event is focused on the future. Each exhibitor CTV News spoke with predicts demand for tradespeople will grow over the next two years as regional and federal building projects come online.

“My big worry is in the future, when the EV (Power Co.) plant gets going full steam, when all the ancillary construction has to take place to support that, and when the nation-building projects come on stream, we will be desperately short of people for seven to 10 years,” Carter said.

Some saw the change coming and got in early.

Justin Spurgeon left CAMI in Ingersoll a few years ago to become a unionized pipe fitter apprentice with the Ontario Pipe Trades Council.

“So glad I made the switch. Yes, because this is the type of job where you’ll never be out of work,” he said.

Amy Simon left a career in journalism to join the trades.

“It was something I wanted to try, so I found my closet union and walked in the front door, said I was interested, and the rest is history,” she said.

“There will be tremendous opportunities over the next two to three years,” added Carter as he encouraged people to learn more.