The career fairs will be held in another 14 cities giving next generation of workers hands-on exposure to the trades
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini was joined by Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland at the Cobourg Community Centre on Thursday, September 12, 2024 to see first hand the Level-Up! career fair.
By the time the career fairs are finished across Ontario at the end of November over 35,000 students will be introduced to a skilled trades career.
In Cobourg over 700 students and their families came out to hopefully be inspired for a career in skilled trades to build the homes, highways, hospitals, schools, and community infrastructure the province needs.
“It’s great to see kids exploring opportunities in the trades with one-in-three journey persons retiring it’s important we get more youth in.”
Piccini met with youths and their families from across Northumberland County and Peterborough.
I was talking to students and they all said that they’ve never tried this before and this is why we do these
Level Up! career fairs is to get students in and try their hands at a trade.”
“When you have a job in the trades, you have a career for life.”
This is the third year for the event, but the first time in Cobourg and for the first time they held an evening component for the parents to come with their children.
“To tackle stigma is to get more youth into the trades – we know you also have to target the parents.”
Mayor Cleveland said with Cobourg being the economic driver of Northumberland County, the career fair is exactly what the community needs to bring skilled trades.
Cleveland said he has a skilled trades background for 10-years.
“I learned more in the trades working on the oil rigs, more than I ever learned in my years at university.”
“The trades are the kind of jobs that provide a quality of life.”
The Level Up! Career Fairs are part of the government’s plan to grow Ontario’s workforce by encouraging the next generation to start careers in the skilled trades and ensuring workers have the training and skills to build Ontario’s bright future. That includes the successful Skills Development Fund (SDF) which, in partnership with local employers and labour organizations, has helped nearly 600,000 people train or up-skill for in-demand careers in their community, including construction, manufacturing, and technology.
Quick Facts
The Level Up! skilled trades career fairs are open to all students. Last year, 30,680 students, parents, friends, and teachers visited the fairs.
Grade 7 to 12 students interested in attending the career fairs are encouraged to contact their school board’s Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) recruiter, a teacher or school guidance counsellor to register.
Organizations can support the Level Up! career fairs as potential exhibitors or sponsors. Interested organizations can contact Levelup@ontario.ca for more details.
Roughly one in three workers in Ontario with an apprenticeship or trade certificate was aged 55 or over and nearing retirement in 2021.
One in five new job openings in Ontario will be in the skilled trades-related occupations by 2028.
Career fairs are taking place in 15 communities between September 12 and November 28, 2024:
Barrie – September 17
Kitchener – September 19
Sault Ste. Marie – September 24
Thunder Bay – September 26
Sudbury – October 2
South Porcupine – October 4
Cornwall – October 8
Ottawa – October 10 & 11
North Bay – October 16
Oshawa – October 22 to 24
LaSalle – October 29
London – November 12 & 13
Niagara Falls – November 20 & 21
Mississauga – November 26 to 28
The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
