Ontario launches ad campaign to attract workers to skilled trades
January 13, 2020
By Manufacturing AUTOMATION
The Ontario government has launched a new advertising campaign to attract workers to the skilled trades, and to encourage employers to hire more apprentices.
The campaign’s slogan is “Find a Career You Wouldn’t Trade.”
“We need to do a better job at enticing young people and their parents to the skilled trades,” says Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, training and skills development, in a statement. “For too long, we haven’t viewed these challenging positions as a viable first option. That needs to change.”
The advertising campaign reflects real skilled tradespeople in their work environments, including a tower crane operator, a steamfitter and an arborist.
The government is also investing approximately $75 million in three programs to expose high school students to the trades: $12.7 million in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, $42 million in the Specialist High Skills major program and $20.8 million in a pre-apprenticeship program. The province also recently started an online trades hub at ontario.ca/trades.
“The reality is that the skilled trades offer exciting and challenging careers that often require solid math and problem solving skills, and expose people to the latest technologies such as 3D printing and robotics”, says McNaughton. “When it comes to opportunity, to earning potential, to having a chance to start your own business, the skilled trades come out on top.”
The ads, one of which is featured below, will run digitally, in movie theatres and on Tim Hortons TV across the province.
