THUNDER BAY — Skilled Trades Ontario, the new provincial agency responsible for skilled trades certification, is including Thunder Bay in what it calls a first-of-its-kind series of career fairs around the province.
Five multi-day fairs — in Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Ottawa, Mississauga and London — will be aimed at attracting young people into trades where there is a significant shortage of labour.
"We're in the middle of the greatest labour shortage in a generation," Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said during an announcement this week in Toronto.
The Thunder Bay event is scheduled for Nov. 29 at the Valhalla Hotel and Conference Centre on Arthur Street.
Skilled Trades Ontario and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development will host students from Grades 7 to 12, and introduce them to people working in dozens of trades, as well as to apprenticeship program recruiters, colleges, employers and unions.
Hands-on activities and interactive exhibits will be set up.
The government will arrange transportation for attendees, but there will also be a way to participate online.
McNaughton said people entering the skilled trades will have "a job for life" if they wish.
According to the government, there are currently 360,000 unfilled jobs.
The minister said 100,000 skilled workers are needed just to reach the goal of building 1.5 million more homes in Ontario by 2031.
"These are good-paying jobs with pensions and benefits, where you can buy a home and raise a family," he said.
Skilled Trades Ontario is the central authority responsible for establishing standards in the trades.
Its mandate also includes setting up mentorship programs, managing the province's participation in the Interprovincial Red Seal program, and maintaining a public register of people authorized to work in compulsory trades.
These are trades in which only apprentices and licensed journeypersons are allowed to work.
