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YOUTHINK.CA 14 > YOUTHINK PS > FALL 2017 A re you about to graduate from high school but aren't sure university is the right path? Perhaps your particular skills and interests hew closer to a career in the trades. If so, you're onto a good thing. Accord- ing to the Industry Training Authority (ITA), opportunities in trades are hotter than ever. That's because, of the one million job openings anticipated in B.C. between now and 2022, over 100,000 will be in that sector. Moreover, a 2013 report by B.C.'s research universities states that the number of skilled labour jobs (everything from mechanics to bakers) will exceed the number of qualified workers in just two years' time. The reason for the looming skills short- ages is simple. "We've spent the last 30 years grooming young people for university at the expense of other venues, and now that the baby boomers of the trades are retiring there's a huge gap in supply," says ITA CEO Gary Herman. "Wherever you are right now, whether in a room or a car or a city street, everything around you has been built and is repaired or maintained by trades," Herman continues, "and well-paying ones at that. Even if you're just eating a bagel, that's the product of a trade." ITA works with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and gov- ernment to issue credentials, manage appren- ticeships and set program standards — all with the aim of increasing opportunities in the trades. For youths, the Authority has two programs: ACE IT (Accelerated Credit Enrol- ment in Industry Training) and SSA (Second- ary School Apprenticeship). ACE IT is designed for those who want to get a head start on technical training for an apprenticeship program while still in high school. Under ACE IT, students attend trades training classes either in school, at post-sec- ondary institutions or ITA-certified training facilities. Resulting credits count toward a high school diploma and at least one level of techni- cal training for an industry training program. SSA is similar in that it allows high school students to get a jump on work-based train- ing for an apprenticeship program. They earn while they learn and graduate from SSA with 16 high school credits and 480 work-based training hours — the latter of which counts towards a trade credential. "We have 52 of the 62 school districts in B.C. involved with ACE IT and 48 districts involved in SSA," Herman notes. "The beauty of these programs is you gain real experience of what it's like being an apprentice in a spe- cific field — but because you're still in high school, you have the freedom to try another field if the one you initially selected turns out to be not for you." To further help students determine what may be a good career fit, the ITA website has a page whereby visitors can type in words that best describe their personality — like "cre- ative," "athletic" or "analytic," for example — and then receive a list of potentially appropri- ate jobs. "It's another great way of zeroing in on what might be your dream career before going through the time, commitment and ex- pense of apprenticeship," says Herman. ITA has much more to offer youths, includ- ing a mentorship project, in which the asso- ciation connects applicants to certified trades- people in their community so that they can get the inside scoop on specific fields of work. With over 2,100 students enrolled in ACE IT alone in 2014, Herman says interest in what the ITA has to offer is growing quickly. "More and more students appreciate that the trades provide careers in which you make lots of money, are never out of work and can relocate anywhere with your skills." Herman himself found this to be true when he undertook a tool and dye apprenticeship as a young man. "There's no better time in the history of B.C. to be involved in the trades," he concludes. "And ITA is on hand to provide any assistance required." • Trading Up How you can get a head start on a career in the booming skilled labour sector By Robin Brunet

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