Skilled Calgary: preparing to meet our talent needs

Skilled Calgary 200901Skilled Calgary:Preparing to meet our talent needs

From baker to bricklayer to cabinetmaker,occupations in the trades and technicalfields are as varied as Alberta’s population. ”

Skilled Calgary 200901WorldSkills in CalgaryIn Alberta, there are 50 provincially designatedtrades and 9 designated occupations, runningfrom baker to bricklayer to cabinetmaker. Whilethis may sound like something of a nurseryrhyme, the truth is that occupations in the tradesand technical fields are as varied as Alberta’spopulation. The careers offered in these fieldstouch almost every sector of the economy and playa role in the everyday life of all Calgarians – thehouses we live in, the cars we drive, the buses weride, the buildings where we work, the technologywe use to communicate, and the food that we eatare just a few of the things that are made possibleby skilled tradespeople. These workers buildthe foundations of our prosperity, and keep themachinery of our economy running.Between 2005 and 2008, Calgary experienceda skills and labour shortage indicative of anapproaching structural and demographic shiftin employment in Calgary and around the globe.And while current economic conditions haveimpacted the day-to-day demand for talent, theworkforce challenges still to come are expected toeclipse past labour shortages. Canada’s populationis increasingly older and the number of peopleapproaching the age of retirement has hit a recordhigh. Statistics Canada forecasts that it may takeonly 10 years before Canada has more people atthe age where they can leave the labour force thanpeople at the age where they can begin working.There is no hiding from the forecasted shortageof labour – the retirement of baby boomers aswell as the creation of new jobs will mean strongdemand across a variety of industries andoccupational categories. Skilled trades will bein particularly high demand. In fact, accordingto the “Calgary Employment Demand Forecast”released by Calgary Economic Development in2007, jobs requiring college or apprenticeshiptraining represent the largest segment of jobs tobe created in the next decade in Calgary.The skills required for manyconventional occupations arechanging rapidly, and many skillsare quickly becoming dated asnew jobs, new technologies andnew industries emerge. ”Calgary is hosting the 2009 WorldSkillsCompetition this coming September. CalgaryEconomic Development is of the belief that thisinternational competition provides us with aunique opportunity to highlight the contributionthat skills occupations make to our economy.This report will cover not only the number ofpeople employed in these occupations in Calgary,it will also show the career and lifestyle benefitsto choosing an occupation in the skilled tradesor technologies and will demonstrate how theseoccupations play a part in increasing Alberta’sproductivity and competitiveness.The purpose of this report is to provokediscussion among students, parents, careercounselors, human resources professionals, andthe general public about the true value of thesevocations to the continued prosperity of Calgaryand Alberta. It also addresses some of the stigmasassociated with working in the trades and technicalcareers, in an attempt to shift perceptions thatthese occupations are somehow less valuablethan professional roles within our society.

Skilled Calgary 200902Trades and Technical Careersin Calgary:The results of the work done by skilled tradespeopleare visible across every sector of the economyand touch every aspect of our daily lives. Skilledtradespeople also account for a significant part ofCalgary’s workforce. In 2008, workers in the skilledtrades and technical occupations representedapproximately 30 per cent of those employed inCalgary; over 226,000 Calgarians are currentlyworking at a job that requires a skilled trade ortechnical expertise. In the past decade, over 70,000jobs were created in these categories, a trend thatis expected to continue into the next decade. Thisrepresents a growth of 45.5 per cent in theseoccupations, which outpaced growth in non-tradesand technical occupations – these grew 34.3 percent over the last 10 years.All skilled occupations saw an increase from1999, with occupations in trades, transportationand equipment operators growing the most,at 47.5 per cent – this group also representsthe largest segment of the skilled trades andtechnical occupations.Generally, trades and technical occupations fallinto the following five main categories:1. Construction: electricians, bricklayers,carpenters, plumbers, pipefitters, elevatorconstructors, welders, heavy equipmentoperators, painters, etc.2. Transportation: auto body technicians,electric motor systems technicians, heavyequipment technicians, auto body repairers,parts technicians, etc.3. Manufacturing: tool & dye makers,industrial mechanics, metal fabricators,machinists, millwrights, etc.4. Information and CommunicationTechnology: web designers, computerand network operators, telecommunicationstechnologists, instrument technicians, etc.5. Service: cooks, florists, hairstylists, etc.Table 1 – Calgary Employment by Occupation, 1999-2008OCCUPATIONS 1999 2008 TOTAL GROWTHSkilled Trades and Technical Occupations 155,300 226,000 45.5%All Other Occupations 395,400 531,900 34.3%Total Employed 555,700 757,900 36.4%Source: Statistics Canada

Skilled Calgary 200903Table 2 – Calgary Skilled Trades and Technical Occupations, 1999-2008OCCUPATIONS 1999 2008 Total GrowthTechnical Occupations Related to Natural & Applied Sciences 22,200 31,400 41.4%Technical and Assisting Occupations in Support ofHealth Services 13,000 17,300 33.1%Photography, Creative Designers, Graphic Artists, Craftspeople,Technical Occupations in Motion Pictures 5,100 5,900 15.7%Chefs, Cooks and Other Occupations in Food & Beverage Service 28,400 36,300 27.8%Technical Occupations in Personal Care* 1,900 8,300 n/aTrades, Transportation and Equipment Operators 71,200 105,000 47.5%Technical Occupations in Primary Industry** n/a 6,800 n/aOccupations Unique to Processing, Manufacturingand Utilities 13,500 15,000 11.1%Total Employed 155,300 226,000 45.5%* the large jump in workers might be due to a re-classification of the occupational definitions** data for these occupations was suppressed in 1999, therefore growth is not measurableSource: Statistics CanadaAlthough Alberta has only 10 per cent of Canada’slabour force, it trains more than 20 per cent of thecountry’s apprentices. In fact, during the 2001-2006period, Alberta apprenticeship registrations roseby 71 per cent. As of December 2008, there were70,415 registered apprentices working in Alberta.The growth in apprenticeship registration is reflectiveof a trend in Calgary, Alberta and Canada, wherebyemployment in the skilled trades and technicaloccupations is increasing.Employment growth in skilled trades and technicaloccupations in Calgary was particularly strongwhen compared to Alberta and Canada. Calgaryshowed 45 per cent growth, almost tripling that ofCanada’s growth of just over 16 per cent, as wellas being significantly higher than Alberta’s growthof 37 per cent. This is reflective of the growth ofCalgary’s economy during the last few years, whichrequired an increased number of tradespeople tosupport not only construction activity in the city, butthe development of Calgary as a western hub fortransportation and logistics, along with increasedgrowth in trades specific to the oil and gas industry.Table 3 – Calgary, Alberta and Canada, Skilled Trades and Technical Occupations Comparison,1999-2008Number of Persons Employed in Skilled Tradesand Technical Occupations 1999 2008 TOTAL GROWTHCalgary 155,300 226,000 45.5%Alberta 502,800 688,600 37.0%Canada 4,766,900 5,550,600 16.4%Source: Statistics Canada

Skilled Calgary 200904In the past, the WorldSkills Competitionhas improved the image of skills, trades,and technologies, bringing the best youngprofessionals from around the worldto showcase their talents and ability.WorldSkills Calgary 2009 will be noexception. The WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd.mission is to engage the passion of youngpeople to pursue viable and rewardingcareer options within the skills, trades andtechnologies sectors. The Competition willcontribute to vital economic and socialsuccess by perpetuating a global movementthat is committed to developing andpromoting high performance standards.With an estimated 150,000 total attendanceto the Competition, the event is predictedto bring in $82 million in economic benefitsto the city of Calgary. ”– Richard Walker,WorldSkills Calgary 2009 President and CEO

Skilled Calgary 200905WorldSkills 2009In addition to demonstrating their talent in the everyday tasksrequired of their job, skilled tradespeople have the opportunityto showcase the skill, craftsmanship and ingenuity that they bringto the economy at the WorldSkills Competition.WorldSkills started in Spain in 1947, in an effort toincrease the pool of skilled workers in that country.The thought was that holding a competition wouldarouse interest and discussion, motivating youngpeople to be more enthusiastic about vocationaltraining and comparing their skills and abilitieswith people from different countries. By 1970, thecompetition included member-countries from allcontinents and was held in different locations everytwo years.Beyond just awarding individual and team medals,the WorldSkills Competition has played a significantrole in increasing each country’s knowledge ofskilled trades training. WorldSkills provides a uniquemeans of exchange and comparison of world-classcompetency standards in the industrial tradesand service sectors of the global economy. Thecontinued growth of WorldSkills attests to the factthat traditional trade and craft skills along with thenewer technological-based vocations make anessential contribution to the economic and socialwell-being of people across the globe.In the 2009 WorldSkills Competition, individualswill be competing in six different categories:1. Transportation & Logistics: includesthe creating, repairing and maintaining oftransportation vehicles.2. Construction & Building Technology:covers all the skilled areas that are related tothe construction world.3. Manufacturing & EngineeringTechnology: includes everything from thedesign, creation, making and maintaining ofanything involving electronics and machines.4. Information & CommunicationTechnology: encompasses everythingfrom network creation and maintenanceto development and finishing informationtechnologies.5. Creative Arts & Fashion: covers all theskilled areas that are related to fine arts andfashionable design and creation.6. Social & Personal Sciences:encompasses services related to the foodand beverage industry as well as hospitalityand personal care.The number of people employed in the skills thatare in competition at the 2009 event represent40 per cent of trades and skills employment and12 per cent of Calgary’s workforce overall.

Skilled Calgary 200906Table 4 – Calgary Employment in WorldSkills 2009 CategoriesWorldSkills Category Calgary Employment (2008)Transportation & Logistics 5,900Construction & Building Technology 21,100Manufacturing & Engineering Technology 9,100Information & Communication Technology 5,700Creative Arts & Fashion 1,800Social & Personal Sciences 45,600Total Employed 89,200Source: Statistics CanadaThe shortage of people with vocational trainingthat spurred WorldSkills into existence in 1947is not so different 60 years later – Canada,along with other WorldSkills member nations,is still experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.Employers around the globe report significantdifficulties finding skilled trades.According to Manpower’s annual talent shortagesurvey, in both 2008 and 2009, skilled trades werethe top positions going unfilled.It is estimated that over the next twodecades, 40 per cent of new jobs willbe in skilled trades and technologies,and considering that in 1998, thisnumber was less that 20 per cent,Canada will have a serious challengein meeting these skills needs. ”Our local workforce is anticipated to grow ata much slower rate than in the past, and ourfuture labour supply is widely expected to beinadequate to meet the demands of the economy.Already, shortages are occurring in many skilledtrades, including the plumbing and constructiontrades, and the Conference Board of Canadaforecasts a shortfall of nearly one millionworkers for Canada overall within 20 years. Aworldwide underinvestment and devaluation ofthe development of trades and technical talent inrecent decades further emphasizes the need toinvest now if we are to be ahead of the loomingbaby boomer retirement bubble.

Skilled Calgary 200907Lifestyle Facts and FictionThere are a variety of lifestyle benefits to choosinga career in skilled trades and technical vocations.Generally speaking, workers in these occupationsare well-educated and well-paid; the work theydo requires expertise and creativity; there isopportunity for advancement and specialization,as well as the chance to own their own businessand be their own boss; and workers expressa high degree of satisfaction with their careerchoice. These benefits are often overlooked asthere are also a variety of misconceptions thatprevent young people from entering into this typeof career. Trades and technical careers are oftenseen as a “last resort” career by students, parentsand teachers, when in fact they are demanding,satisfying, well paying occupations that are inhigh demand.Fiction: Skilled trades and technical careersare options for students who do not do wellacademically or aren’t cut out for university.Fact: In order to become askilled tradesperson, a strongacademic foundation is required.Apprenticeship programs in mostof the designated trades are 3to 4 years in length and acrossCanada almost 7 in 10 workersin the trades in 2007 had at leastsome post-secondary education.While training, approximately 80 per cent of anapprentice’s time is spent on the job under theguidance of a certified journeyperson or qualifiedtradesperson, who are experts within their fields.The remaining 20 per cent involves technicaltraining provided at, or through, a post-secondaryestablishment, be it a college or technical institute.The journeymen I apprenticed withare the reason I’m here. ”– Craig Spady,Team Canada member and SAIT student,competing at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 inElectrical InstallationsWhile training, students learn the most recenttechniques and use the newest technologicalequipment required to succeed in all aspects oftheir trade. Additionally, apprentices have to sitthrough rigorous tests and meet high standardsof quality in order to be certified. In addition,graduates from these programs are very satisfiedwith the quality of training they receive.In the 2007-2008 academic year, over 57,000full-time and part-time students were enrolled atAlberta’s two major institutes of technology (SAITPolytechnic in Calgary and NAIT in Edmonton).And, once they graduate from their training,apprentices and skilled tradespeople have agood chance of finding employment – at SAITPolytechnic, the graduate employment rate is99 per cent and NAIT graduates have a placementrate of 95 per cent. Much of this is due to the factthat the training that these graduates receive, alongwith those who attend the other eight degreegrantingcolleges and institutes across Alberta, isheavily linked with industry advisory groups. Forthe most part, curriculum development at theseinstitutions is supported by partnerships with localbusinesses and industry in an effort to ensure that

Skilled Calgary 200909programs are relevant to today’s economy andthat graduates learn the skills that are applicablein the workplace.Fiction: Skilled tradespeople don’t earn as muchas those working in other occupations.Fact: A recent report byStatistics Canada looking atselected trades showed that,in 2007, employees in theskilled trades averaged $22.36in hourly earnings, which wassix per cent higher than the$21.01 an hour earned forother non-trades occupations.Apprentices also have the opportunity to“learn while you earn”. This is especially usefulfor those individuals who want to improve theirearning capacity, but still need to supportthemselves while studying. This also decreasesthe amount of debt incurred while studying ata post-secondary institution.I knew I would be doing somethingwith my hands, and nothing elseever caught my attention like thetrades did. I started working rightout of high school but I lookedat the apprenticeship [programs]because it was a way to get moreexperience, learn more. And there’sa pay raise. ”– Brad Chyz,Team Canada member and SAIT student,competing at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 inSheet Metal TechnologyFiction: Skills are non-transferable and deadendjobs.Fact: While skills are oftenquite specialized, they are notnecessarily restricted to justone sector of the economy. Thetechnology and processes usedby these workers can often betransferred from one industryto another and the opportunityexists for tradespeople to applytheir expertise in a variety ofindustrial environments.In fact, flexibility is a cornerstone of the AlbertaApprenticeship and Industry Training Board.Alberta’s training body has been set up by bothindustry and government to first teach a widefoundation of general skills – that way, once theyspecialize in a narrower skill area, Alberta-certifiedjourneymen have both flexibility and mobility intheir career.Those working in the trades also express a highdegree of satisfaction with their career choice. Ina recent survey by the Alberta Apprenticeship andIndustry Training Board, 96 per cent of graduateswere satisfied with the overall experience of theapprenticeship program, and if they had to chooseagain, the same number would still have chosento become an apprentice.Working in the skilled trades and technicaloccupations also allows workers to run their ownbusiness and work independently. Starting outby training as an apprentice under a journeymanto owning a business is not an uncommon careerpath. Self-employment in the trades has increasedat a higher rate than in other occupations over the

Skilled Calgary 200910past 20 years, from 9 per cent in 1987 to 15 percent in 2007, an increase of nearly 60 per cent.This brings self-employment in the trades to asimilar rate of self-employment for those workingin other occupations, which was 16 per cent in2007. Additionally, the vast majority of workers inthe trades worked full time – 97 per cent of skilledtradespeople had full time employment in 2007.Fiction: Skilled trades and technical occupationsare physical tasks.There is also a diversity to the tasks found inskilled trades and many of them require highlytechnical math and science abilities, as wellas design expertise and project managementcapabilities. Oftentimes the work of skilledtechnicians and tradespeople results in atangible product, and as such, there is a lotof pride and workmanship that goes into eachtask. In the end, the work done by skilledtradespeople is much more than manual labour –it is about craftsmanship.Fact: While for the most part,the nature of these careers isthat they are “hands-on”, it doesnot mean that they require anymore physical strength than theaverage professional job.In fact, many of the workers who have chosen toenter these fields have done so for the very reasonthat the tasks involved are more concrete andtangible than those required in an office environment.To me it’s not a job; I go to workto have fun. Each trade is reallya craft and some of the work isa work of art. ”– Devon DeBoer,Team Canada member and SAIT student,competing at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 inAutobody Repair

Skilled Calgary 200911Innovation, Prosperityand ProductivityThe work done by skilled technicians andtradespeople is essential to the social andeconomic makeup of Calgary. The work theydo necessitates critical thinking to solve manyof the challenges our society faces today – beit through improving our transportation andcommunication systems, implementing newtechnologies to address climate change, ortaking care of an ageing population – all ofthese tasks require innovative ways of thinking.When a chef introduces a new menu, a dressmakercreates a new pattern, or a cabinetmaker builds acustom piece of furniture – they are all providingsomething new, whether it be for purely aestheticpurposes or to meet the changing needs of theircustomers. All of the specific skills that fit withinthe broader group of diverse occupations have acritical application without which our society couldnot function.Talented Calgarians working withinthe skilled trades and technicaloccupations have been responsiblefor nearly 3,000 innovations, designsand gadgets including the Caesarcocktail, the Java programminglanguage, a three-dimensionalsound effect called Q-Sound andthe ubiquitous Chinese food dishginger beef. ”In addition to being both innovative and creative,those industries that employ the majority of skilledtradespeople are also key drivers of our economy.Combined, these key sectors produce goods andservices that contribute 50 per cent of Canada’sGDP – in 2008 this represented over $650 billionagainst Canada’s annual GDP of approximately$1.3 trillion.It is essential that these industries – manufacturing,construction, automotive, mining and petroleum,and food service, just to name a few – continueto have a steady supply of workers in order forCanada to compete in the global economy. Beyondjust the contribution to GDP, the facilities at whichmost of these workers train also have a large roleto play in Alberta’s economic make-up. Combined,the activities undertaken by SAIT Polytechnic andNAIT generate over $2 billion of economic activityin Alberta.The recent downturn in the global economy,along with the impending retirement of a coregroup of workers, will place greater demandson the existing workforce and on the economyas a whole. This means that our current andfuture group of workers will have to be evenmore skilled. According to the recently released“State of the Nation report” released by Canada’sScience, Technology and Innovation Council,colleges produce workers that have the skillsand knowledge to flexibly adapt to today’s fastpacedeconomic climate, implement the latesttechnologies in their workplace, and developthe kind of bottom-up innovation in their dailyroutines that drives productivity growth. Skilledtradespeople and technical workers are vital toimproving our competitiveness and supportingthe continued growth our economy.

Skilled Calgary 200913SourcesAlberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board,“Building a Stronger Alberta – Annual Report,2007-2008”Calgary Economic Development, “Calgary EmploymentDemand Forecast 2007-2017”The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, “Building aTwenty-First Century Workforce: A Business Strategyto Overcome Canada’s Skills Crisis” (November 2008)Human Resources and Skills Development Canada,“Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning forCanada” (2002)Manpower, “2009 Talent Shortage Survey” (May 2009)NAIT, “Quick Facts”SAIT Polytechnic, “Fast Facts”Science, Technology and Innovation Council, “State ofthe Nation 2008 – Canada’s Science, Technologyand Innovation System”Skills Competences Canada, “Building Canada’sFuture” (December 2006)Statistics Canada, “2006 Census: Age and Sex,”The Daily (July 17, 2007)Statistics Canada, 1999 and 2008 Labour Force SurveyStatistics Canada, “Perspectives – Skilled TradesEmployment” (October 2008)

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