COVER STORY
Choosing a skilled trades caree Apprenticeship programs provide options for trade professionals By Judith Kays
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s the Nova Scotia economy and population numbers continue to grow, the need for skilled tradespeople in the province is proving to be a real challenge. Even though Nova Scotia's skilled trade sector is one of the highest paid job opportunity sectors in Nova Scotia right now, there’s a significant shortage of apprentices and qualified trade professionals. Experts say that a combination of factors have produced this shortage of labour: retirements, lack of awareness about the trades, stigma about the kinds of jobs that exist and increased demand for new infrastructure. To solve the issue, industry leaders say there needs to be more education and awareness about choosing a skilled trades career, improved exploration of diverse populations as a workforce pool, and the understanding that everyone has a part to play.
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I believe that any secondary education is a plus, but people need to know there are a variety of options that lead to great opportunities.” — Gord Gamble,
President, Iron Dog
SEPTEMBER 2021
EDUCATION IS KEY There are over 70 trades registered with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (NSAA). At any given time, the NSAA has about 7,000 apprentices learning their trade, either at an educational institution like the Nova Scotia Community College, through a trade union-led program, and through on-thejob training. This post-secondary training teaches the skills and competencies necessary to become a certified tradesperson while learning and getting paid to work. When people think about trade jobs, they usually think about plumbers, carpenters and electricians. There are many more career options that include jobs in one of the four industry sectors that the NSAA oversees in construction, industrial/manufacturing, motive power, and service. A tradesperson could be a boat
