P R O M O T E D C O N T E N T
S K I L L E D T R A D E S
The Heartbeat of
B.C.'s Economy
The next generation of skilled trades workers will lead the way as the
number of projects taking place in our province continues to grow
G
ary Herman remembers the
advice he received from a
mentor back in high school:
the machine-shop teacher
suggested that the he consider
a career in the skilled trades.
There were three key reasons:
he would never be out of a job; he would
do well •inancially; and he would be able
to secure work anywhere. Herman took
that suggestion, and, following decades
working in the sector in various roles, is
now chief executive of•icer at the Industry
Training Authority (
ITA).
With several ambitious projects
underway, from
LNG to the building of non-
combat ships for the federal government,
B.C. is booming, poised to see the demand
for skilled trades workers continue to soar.
Of the one million job openings expected
by 2022 in B.C., 43 per cent will require
trades or technical training.
"There's no better time in the history of
British Columbia to be considering a career
in the skilled trades," Herman says. The jobs
within the trades industry that are going to
be in demand will be welders, carpenters,
concrete •inishers, heavy equipment
operators, steam•itters, pipe•itters, and
sprinkler system installers, among others."
In fact, there are more than 100 skilled
trades in B.C.—accounting for more than 10
per cent of provincial employment—with
57 of them being red seal, where training
and certi•ication are based on national
standards. Trades make up one of the
occupational groups that is expected to
grow at a rate of 2.3 per cent per year over
the next decade, a faster pace than the
provincial average of 1.8 percent, according
to BC's Labour Market Stratey to 2020.
In almost every single region in the
province, labour demand is expected to
exceed supply through to 2020, according
to the British Columbia Trades Occupation
Outlook: 2010•2020 report.
To meet the impending demand and
to increase opportunities in the •ield,
(Left to right): The forestry industry
is looking for skilled workers to
fill positions in the processing
facilities; shipbuilding continues
to be a growing sector in B.C.
