Canada all tapped out, Alberta goes to Germany!

[geoffrey]

Apparently, Canada is out of skilled tradespeople. All those years of "university at all costs" in the high schools and from the media has left us without any tradespeople.

Anecdotal evidence, one of my friends from high school just finished his bricklaying apprenticeship. What a job hey? I sure people would think twice when they realise that a Journeyman bricklayer can pull $100k in Alberta.

And some on these forums would like to see us train more BA (Greek and Roman Studies) types than have people work trades.

Anyways, we go to Germany to find people now.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/200...berta-jobs.html

Perhaps we'll see a little more Barvarian culture in Calgary in the near future?

In any case, it's about time Alberta takes the power that Quebec has (and go a little further) and deal with our own immigration, picking only those with skills we need. Canada's system doesn't work for us, we need to expediate these people into Canada to fill jobs now.

[margrace]

In the 1960's two highschools were built in a town. One was general and one was stricktly for the trades. The out roar from people was horrendous, they didn't want their kids going to a school with a lot of dummies.

This is where our problem started, every child was encouraged to be doctors or lawyers, none were encouraged to go to the trade school.

A plumber in Ontario can get at least $40 an hour. Says it all doesn't it.

[Saturn]

Apparently, Canada is out of skilled tradespeople.

When Garth Turner asked why Harper canceled the training agreements with the provinces instituted by the previous government, you responded "Awww. Poor Garth." Good luck finding skilled tradespeople in Germany.

[Remiel]

I absolutely want to get a university degree, but I do consider becoming a stonemason as well. I think that there is absolutely room in life to become learned because that is what you want, as well as taking up an unrelated trade as your job. Besides, university are stonemasonry aren't exactly unrelated... there are an awful lot of limestone buildings in Queen's, hehehe...

[Wilber]

I absolutely want to get a university degree, but I do consider becoming a stonemason as well. I think that there is absolutely room in life to become learned because that is what you want, as well as taking up an unrelated trade as your job. Besides, university are stonemasonry aren't exactly unrelated... there are an awful lot of limestone buildings in Queen's, hehehe...

Absolutely, do what you want. Aside from practical learning, all you really need to be learned is a modem and a library card.

[Remiel]

There is an issue of transferable skills that the library and the modem will have a hard time producing compared to the university program, as well as the overall experience. In the end though, if you want to think of post-secondary education as a kind of commodity, there is no reason you shouldn't feel good about working hard for that $40,000 degree, as opposed to that $80,000 car, or $500,000 house, even if you never use it as the focus of your career.

[geoffrey]

Become a stonemason and while your working do some online courses through Athabasca or something like that to earn your degree. Accomplishes both ends and you'll be a whole hell of a lot better off financially.

[Canuck E Stan]

[ Good luck finding skilled tradespeople in Germany.

No luck required, German unemployment in skilled trades is high.

Since when is it the job of Federal government to train skilled trades as Garth was asking?

[sideshow]

Become a stonemason and while your working do some online courses through Athabasca or something like that to earn your degree. Accomplishes both ends and you'll be a whole hell of a lot better off financially.

See, that is intelligent thinking.

Working with your hands is satisfying and nowadays with a trade is as financially rewarding as having a degree. I worked with my hands while finishing university, and dont regret a minute of it. And soon i will be expanding my education into a completely different direction when I start college courses in fall. And I was able to do this and still start my family. You can never learn too much, have too many skills, or open too many doors.

I can't think of a better thing for a young high school graduate to do than go get a trade. By 22, 23, you have a skill that will always provide you with a source of income, you will have "put your time in the trenches" of the workforce, and then will have some funds behind you to attend university if you so choose. It just seems that so many are not willing to get their hands "dirty" these days, or are too coddled at home, or afraid of hard work. And nowadays employers are dying for workers in the trades, which lets workers command better salaries, and allows them to be treated with more respect than in the past, because if they arent treated well, they just walk two blocks down and go to the next desperate employer.

[Canuck E Stan]

And nowadays employers are dying for workers in the trades, ....

That's where the problem lies,employers want ready made trades people. Most won't touch an apprenticeship program because in the beginning an apprentice "costs" them money, with little in return.

It's so much easier to let someone else train an apprentice for a trade and then steal them as a journeyman.

I would like to see a rule requiring business to have a ratio of apprentices to jouneymen so the younger generation gets a head start in the trades. Companies who go overeas should also be required to have a ratio at home, or at least given approval to bring over jouneymen only if the have proven they have a ratio of apprentices to journeymen on the payroll. This country has always had an issue with having enough trades people and apprenticeship training should be mandated into any business that uses more than three tradesmen of the same trade.

[stazy]

I know of a few businesses in Nisku that have "imported" Korean welders to fill vacant positions. The workers were obtained from an agency that specializes in connecting businesses with trade persons from South Korea. The workers are given two year contracts and the opportunity to earn substantial amounts of money, and the employers are rewarded with employees who want to work long hard hours.

It is a win-win situation

[geoffrey]

The workers are given two year contracts and the opportunity to earn substantial amounts of money, and the employers are rewarded with employees who want to work long hard hours.

It is a win-win situation

Definitely. You also won't find that attitude in Canada, not amongst those currently unemployed anywho.