For Ontario to succeed, more girls and women must pursue skilled trades careers, the provincial government believes. PHOTO courtesy CWB Group.
With the province’s manufacturing sector unable to hit its top stride due to almost 100,000 skilled trades jobs remaining unfilled, Ontario is taking measures it hopes will improve the situation over the long term.
Looking to get more young people interested in a career in trades, the provincial government is ushering in a new mandatory technological education credit for high school students. The change will commence with students entering Grade 9 in September of 2024.
“By requiring students to take at least one Technological Education credit in high school, we are opening up doors and creating new pathways to good jobs in STEM and the skilled trades. All students will benefit from a greater emphasis on hands-on learning experiences and technical skills in the classroom so they can graduate with a competitive advantage in this country,” education minister Stephen Lecce, said in a press release.
The moves comes shortly after the Ontario government’s decision a few days prior to allow students, starting in Grade 11, to transition to full-time apprenticeship programs while still earning a high school diploma.
Lecce hopes the move to a mandatory technological education credit for high schoolers will create opportunities for a more diverse skilled trades work force. About three-quarters of high school students already graduate with at least one technological education course, but the majority are male students, according to the provincial government.
Charmaine Williams, the associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity, told CBC News that for Ontario to succeed, the province needs more women and girls pursuing skilled trades careers.
