Skilled trades workers needed

LETHBRIDGE-The look of the trades industry is changing… slowly.

Meighan Moffitt is the only female Refrigeration Mechanic South of Calgary.

She jumped at the chance to share her craft at a trades fair with LCI high school students, “There is a lot of untapped resources out there that people don’t even know about and this type of situation, where we are in the high schools giving kids a chance to see that there is a lot more out there then we ever thought there was.”

Businesses from around Southern Alberta showcased their trade, hoping to entice students to choose their industry.

Ryan Robak is a Journeyman Electrician with Clean Harbors, a company that uses multiple skilled workers to produce modular structures.

“We are constantly thinking, constantly working out problems and finding solutions, that’s what I like about it, that’s what I’m telling these kids that the opportunities are out there, you can really enjoy and feel pride in what you are doing.”

Fairs like this one are pivotal for employers to create future skilled laborers.  Shane McKay is with Careers the Next Generation, an organization funded by both the industry and the government that encourages students to look at trades as a viable career choice, something that is badly needed.

“They’re projecting a labor shortage of 114,000 skilled laborers in the next six to seven years.”

There’s about 50 different trades in the province of Alberta alone, and all of them are in the same situation: they need eager workers who are skilled and willing to join the industry.

“The skilled labor shortage is pervasive among all industries and occupations. It’s important to fit students with trades that will interest them,” adds McKay.