Statistics Canada
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Education and skilled trades
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Education and training are crucial to filling the ranks of the skilled trades. Manufacturers surveyed in 2006 and 2007 said that a lack of skilled labour was the major impediment to production.
Government programs were created to encourage youth to enter into and complete apprenticeship training, to encourage employers to hire them, and to help employed tradespersons buy tools and equipment.
The trades have consistently made up 8% of total employment. In 2007, 68% of those employed in the trades had some postsecondary education, compared with 51% in 1990.
However, there is some diversity in educational attainment among the trades. For example, 8 in 10 plumbers and electricians had postsecondary education in 2007 compared with 4 in 10 masons.
