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Trades show offers alternatives
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Trades show offers alternatives
A student who called a CBC radio call-in program the other day provided a telling example about an old problem.
The young man is about to graduate with an environmental science degree at one of Ontario's better universities, but instead of looking for work in his field he's preparing to enrol in a college program that offers a skilled trade, he said.
After four years of university, he'd realized that becoming an electrician will be more rewarding, personally and financially, he said.
Asked why he hadn't become a tradesman in the first place, the caller said his high school never presented it as a viable alternative to post-secondary education.
Overcoming the prejudice that regards a degree above an apprenticeship is one reason behind a trades exposition underway this week at the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre.
As Ontario's Labour Minister told a crowd of students there Tuesday, changing perceptions is an uphill battle.
Construction workers don't get the respect they deserve because many people don't realize how skilled they are, Brad Duguid later told The Observer.
"It's time to remove the stigma that you need to be a doctor or a lawyer to be successful," he said. "Tradesmen earn great livings."
Indeed they do.
If the private sector had to publish salaries like the public sector, you'd see a surprising number of "Sunshine Clubers" making $100,000 annually by working with their hands.
To its credit, the Liberal government is investing in training programs and doubling the number of apprenticeships.
But for Ontario to maintain its comparative advantage on skilled workers, we need to scrap the misguided notion that a university degree is the right goal for every student.
Source: Sarnia Observer Article ID# 968705
Copyright 2010 NATS London
