New scholarships invest in building careers in trades
$15 million meant to help students enter industry facing shortage of skilled labour
Countless trades are involved in the construction of a new home, but none so integral to the process as the framing crew. Once the foundation is poured, no walls, windows, plumbing or electrical can be installed until the framers do their thing. And right now, there aren't enough of them. There aren't enough skilled trades people — period.
There's an estimated 30 per cent shortage of skilled labour in the province, according to Building Industry and Land Development (BILD) Alberta. With 21 per cent of today's tradespeople expected to retire before 2030 and current delays driving up the cost of new homes, one new homebuilder stepped forward with an idea.
Jay Westman, chief executive and president of Jayman Built, felt an industry-fuelled scholarship fund for education in the trades would assist classroom students and those completing apprenticeships. This new source of funding would also engage students and enhance skilled trade development in Alberta over the next five years. Westman brought the idea of a $15-million scholarship to BILD Alberta and in November, donated the first $2 million with firm commitments for another $7 million.
“I saw a critical need to lead by example and spearhead an opportunity to provide financial support for post-secondary education in a construction trade,” Westman says. “We as an industry need to act. Our future depends on this initiative.”
Westman believes the scholarship will reduce barriers and increase access for excluded communities to ensure all individuals will have the opportunity to pursue an education in a construction trade.
Matthew Lindberg, dean of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's (NAIT) School of Skilled Trades in Edmonton, says he's pleased that industry partners are recognizing barriers to a trade education.
There are some donor-funded awards and government aid and scholarships for trades that are available, plus a variety of student loans. This scholarship will encourage student development as well as provide more funding opportunities, he says.
“I do believe that for some folks, financial barriers do exist. They impact a student's ability to choose a career,” Lindberg says. “That's why industry partners stepping up to support students as they're progressing is essential.”
Apprenticeship education and journey person certification takes about four years with a variation of study and practical experience.
According to BILD Alberta, the average starting annual salaries (based on 2021 figures) for skilled trades start at $46,000 for painters. Roofers start at $50,000, concrete finishers and cabinets makers, $54,000. Starting wages for carpenters, plumbers and electricians are $65,000, $70,000 and $77,000 a year, respectively.
In terms of finding more students, Lindberg says there are many demographic groups underrepresented in the trades.
“We still see apprenticeship education being predominantly white
We as an industry need to act. Our future depends on this initiative.
males,” he says. “They contribute significantly to the economy, but we need to do a lot of work to promote trades to a more diverse group of individuals like new immigrants, LGBTQ communities and women, and to work on the barriers they might perceive.”
Scott Fash, executive director of BILD Alberta, says women represent 44 per cent of the overall workforce in Alberta yet make up 15.9 per cent of jobs in construction. Within that 15.9 per cent of women, 45 per cent work in offsite jobs with just seven per cent involved in a skilled trade.
There are diversity initiatives through NAIT and its Calgary counterpart, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), such as the Jill of All Trades program. It's a student field trip opportunity in which women showcase trades to female students in Grades 7 to 12.
Kristen Hallberg, a director with the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) based in Calgary, is a volunteer with the program. As an influencer and promoter of diversity and inclusivity in the industry, she is passionate about creating awareness of the potential of a career in the trades.
“Research shows that in order for kids to think about any of those careers, they need to see them and be aware of them before fourth grade,” she says.
“The Jill of All Trades program showcases skills like carpentry, drone flying, welding, mechanics. I mean, when I was in junior high, I wouldn't have known that some of the trades exist, and I'm a farm kid.”
Hallberg says once a career path in the trades is presented to girls, they can see the opportunity. It's the parents who sometimes have a bias against learning a skill in more male-oriented field.
“They wouldn't want their daughters to do those jobs. We need to get in front of kids and their parents so they can learn that the industry is changing,” she says.
“Look at the number of open jobs there are today. Historically, companies have only been looking at men, so they're only looking at 50 per cent of the population for those roles. The opportunities are there.”