The second annual Trades and Tech Fest at E. L. Crossley was held on Thursday, November 23, and drew a huge crowd of teens from regional high schools eager to investigate career and post-secondary options.
Michael Marquis, the Cooperative Education Coordinator at E.L. Crossley, told PelhamToday that “school boards and employers understand that there’s a shortage of skilled workers in the trades, and today’s event provides students with the opportunity to speak one-on-one with potential employers and post-secondary representatives, to learn more about the process of entering a career in the trades and technology.”
Marquis said that they would have some 1000 students come through the event, and 65 employers in attendance had “stepped up their game,” including more interactive pieces for students to get a taste of what is involved with their specific trade.
An eight-ton excavator was positioned outside the gymnasium where the trade and tech fest took place to stimulate interest, along with a transport truck training simulator. Four food trucks were on hand to feed hungry students and help promote the culinary trade.
In addition to E. L. Crossley, six other District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) secondary schools — Westlane from Niagara Falls, Thorold, Sir Winston from St. Catharines, Port Colborne High, Centennial, and Eastdale from Welland — attended the event, plus students from a local elementary school.
Nick, a Grade 12 student from Thorold High, is involved with the DSBN’s Homebuild Program, in conjunction with Mountainview Homes.
“We’re building a home in Fonthill, and I’m learning carpentry and construction skills as a co-op student,” he said. “Seven guys and one girl are currently involved, overseen by two teachers. I’m learning how to frame a house, using both a hammer and industrial nail gun. I really enjoyed it, and can see construction as a personal career path.”
In addition to local trade and technology companies, a number of community colleges were on hand to promote their programs.
Jordan, from Niagara College’s School of Technology, said that they offer “many tech and trade areas, with a focus on practical, hands-on learning. We place a huge emphasis on experiential learning. In our automotive program, for example, we have an electric vehicle lab, one of the first to be offered in all of Canada, that’s preparing students for the green technologies of the future, beyond gasoline-powered combustion engines.”
The building industry was well represented at the event. For both young men and women, the message was clear: there are great opportunities in construction, everything from general labourer, to estimating jobs, health and safety, and skilled trades in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical.
Last year, the Ontario government implemented a new program enabling students to leave high school in Grade 11 to train for a career in the skilled trades, and still earn their graduation diploma. The province has acknowledged an acute shortage of workers in the trades, with 72,000 needed in construction alone by 2027 to fill open positions due to retirements and expected job growth. To help deliver the province’s infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031, more people are needed in the skilled trades, a sector in which approximately 1.2 million people are currently employed.
