Four questions with Shaun Thorson, CEO, Skills/Compétences Canada

The Skills/Compétences Canada (SCC) 2023 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNS) is set to take place from May 25 and 26 in Winnipeg. We discussed the importance of this event and develop skilled trades across the nation with Shaun Thorson, CEO, Skills/Compétences Canada.

Canadian Metalworking: By moving the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) around the country, you expose a wide audience to the trades. What does the organization learn about these different locations and the needs of the various stakeholders in these regions?

Thorson: By moving the Skills Canada National Competition around the country, we learn more about the training system in each province and territory, including the challenges they face, and we get to meet the organizations and people who are working to solve them. It also allows us to get a better national perspective and gives us the opportunity to connect to audiences across the country while providing a hands-on and exciting experience at SCNC to the students and the visiting public in that jurisdiction.

CM: What are some of the roadblocks that you see, either in messaging about the skilled trades or in the perception of the skilled trades, and how does SCNC help promote these careers?

Thorson: There seems to be a perceived divide in the secondary school system between students who excel in academics versus those that are interested in working with their hands in more applied learning contexts.

Other barriers to the skilled trades include the perception that going to university is the only educational pathway and attending a technical institute or college or completing an apprenticeship are secondary options.

As a society we need to better understand that we need a population with diverse interests and skills sets.

When students are interested in the subject matter and the method of learning, it will help them perform better in school and embark on a career that interests them. For skilled trade occupations that require an apprenticeship, approximately 80 per cent of the training is done on the job while 20 per cent is done through a training provider. This allows students to learn through hands-on experience and better prepares them for their future occupation.

Skills/Compétences Canada demonstrates, through in-school presentations, conferences, events, and competitions, that skilled trade careers are interesting, complex, and in-demand.

CM: This year you are featuring programs for both Indigenous people and women in the trades. Can these under-represented groups in the metalworking industry help close our skilled trades gap organically with the labour pool that already exists in Canada?

Thorson: Engaging individuals from equity-denied groups, such as Indigenous people and women, will help close the skills gap.

It is important to highlight these career options and the educational pathways for these careers. By identifying success stories and profiling role models, people can see themselves represented and therefore can see themselves as a skilled tradesperson.

CM: What highlights can we expect from this year’s SCNC for the metalworking community at large and how can industry, both manufacturing businesses and their supplier base, get involved?

Thorson: Some of the highlights of SCNC 2023 Winnipeg in metalworking include the diversity of occupations on display, including CNC machining, welding, and precision machining.

From an industry standpoint, there are many ways to participate. Organizations can provide financial support, share their expertise by participating as judges, provide materials and equipment, and use their networks to highlight activities that support the development of a strong skilled trades community.

I think we all want to attract more people to these occupations, and organizations and businesses are key in helping us accomplish this.