Skills Ontario is pleased to applaud the provincial government’s initiatives to promote careers in the skilled trades through their marketing campaign featuring the tagline: “Find a career you wouldn’t trade.” Minister Monte McNaughton, the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, announced the campaign at George Brown College today as part of the government’s Open for Business, Open for Jobs strategy. The campaign has officially launched today.

“Skills Ontario is pleased that the government is facilitating awareness to people about opportunities in skilled trade careers. I want to thank and recognize Minister McNaughton for announcing this important campaign, and we appreciate the opportunity to partner on our common goals that will directly improve the lives of all Ontarians,” says CEO of Skills Ontario, Ian Howcroft. “For over 30 years, Skills Ontario has been promoting skilled trade and technology opportunities to youth, and we look forward to building on our partnership with the government to continue to address the labour shortages in these sectors.”

As stated in the Government of Ontario’s press release, Minster McNaughton says about skilled trade careers: “For too long, we haven’t viewed these challenging positions as a viable first option. That needs to change and our Open for Business, Open for Jobs strategy, including our new advertising campaign, will go a long way towards making the skilled trades more attractive.”

It is essential that Ontarians are provided with the necessary knowledge that will allow them to pursue and succeed in careers in the skilled trades and technologies. As business has identified the skills gap as the number one issue that must be addressed for job creation and economic growth, Skills Ontario continues to develop and provide solutions through programs and events that include experiential learning and mentorship opportunities.

Skills Ontario plays a key role in addressing the skills gap. Through Skills Ontario programming and the Government of Ontario’s marketing initiatives, Ontarians will be even better prepared to recognize the skilled trades and technologies as first-choice career options that offer rewarding and fulfilling opportunities.

Skills Ontario – Promoting skilled trades and technologies in Ontario since 1989              
Over the last 30 years, Skills Ontario has been growing a portfolio of programs including in-school presentations reaching 125,000 students across Ontario, career exploration summer camps, Young Women’s and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Career Exploration Conferences, and annually hosting Canada’s largest skills competition which attracts 37,000+ spectators who cheerlead the 2,400+ competitors in 68+ trades and tech categories. To see how you can partner with Skills Ontario and help make a difference in the lives of Ontario’s youth, visit skillsontario.com/get-involved.

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