#KSP CALCULATIONS CHEMISTRY UPGRADE#

But they won’t replace traditional technical ability. These skills will increase in importance as the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds. Meanwhile, soft skills-critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, problem solving and communication-are more important than ever in an economy that demands collaboration across sectors. They will also have to brace for frequent retraining on evolving technologies. Today’s industrial mechanics, electricians and automotive service technicians must have the digital savvy to operate the electronic-testing equipment, 3D technology, and digital diagnostic tools becoming commonplace in the manufacturing and construction sectors. Technological change, accelerated by the pandemic, has transformed not only the tools available to tradespeople, but the skills needed to operate them. A welder performs her job remotely with the help of a robot. A carpenter plots precise cuts down to the millimeter with the aid of computer-assisted design. Virtual-reality headsets show blueprints to workers as they walk through a construction site.

Educators, employers and policymakers will need to address chronic problems in the trades pipeline, tap into underused pools of talent, and address a widening digital skills gap amid rapid technological advances in the workplace.

Canada is falling short of its goal to bring in 3,000 skilled tradespeople annually through immigration, admitting 2,365 such newcomers in 2019 through the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Immigrants comprised 8.7% of apprentices despite accounting for more than 20% of the population.

Women made up just 11% of new registrants for apprenticeship programs in 2019 and continue to represent less than 4% of workers in the most in-demand trades.

Meanwhile, an outdated perception of the trades has hobbled recruitment efforts.

Over 700,000 skilled tradespeople are expected to retire by 2028.

Demand for digital and “soft” skills like creativity and problem solving is expected to rise significantly in these critical trades.

The most severe shortages will be among trades critical to the coming infrastructure boom, including industrial mechanics, welders and boilermakers.

Canada will face a shortage of at least 10,000 workers in nationally recognized Red Seal trades over that period-a deficit that swells tenfold when 250 provincially regulated trades are included.

#KSP CALCULATIONS CHEMISTRY UPGRADE#

25% of Canada’s 4 million tradespeople will need to upgrade their skills within five years amid significant digital disruption.

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