TORONTO, November 2, 2022 – Today, Skilled Trades Ontario CEO and Registrar Melissa Young issued the following statement on National Skilled Trade and Technology Week.
“National Skilled Trade and Technology Week provides Skilled Trades Ontario with a great opportunity to increase awareness of the more than 140 rewarding careers available in the skilled trades.
Far too many people across our province are unaware of the opportunities that are available to them in the trades.
Since launching in January, it has been our mission at Skilled Trades Ontario to introduce young people to the great paying, meaningful jobs an apprenticeship can offer them.
Our work has involved getting out there and bringing that message directly to young people.
Right now, we are travelling the province meeting with students, their parents and carers at the Level Up! Career Fairs which we are hosting alongside the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
Our team will meet with over 15,000 young people over the next month, showing them first-hand the exciting and rewarding careers open to them in the trades and answering any burning questions that they and their parents may have.
We are also meeting with our partners in industry and education across Ontario. Working together, we will make our province the place where skilled trades professionals thrive.”
ABOUT SKILLED TRADES ONTARIO
Skilled Trades Ontario is the one-stop shop for opportunities in the skilled trades, and the promotion of rewarding careers which support Ontario’s economy.
This includes:
- establishing apprenticeship programs, including training standards, curriculum standards and certification exams
- managing Ontario’s participation in the Interprovincial Red Seal program
- assessing the experience and qualifications of individuals who have not completed an apprenticeship program in Ontario
- issuing Certificates of Qualification in all trades with certifying exams
- renewing Certificates of Qualification in compulsory trades
- maintaining a Public Register of people authorized to work in compulsory trades, and
- conducting research in relation to apprenticeship and the trades
Our mission is to support Ontario’s economic success as the central authority responsible for establishing leading-edge standards in the skilled trades to meet the opportunities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.