The Ontario government has released a series of advertising spots aimed at bringing more young people into the skilled trades.

Launched on January 10, and airing online, in movie theatres and on Tim Hortons TV, the ads feature the tagline, “find a career you wouldn't trade.”

The ads highlight the range of careers available in the skilled trades. They feature up-close footage of three skilled-trades people with in-demand careers: a tower crane operator, a steamfitter and an arborist, and build on the sense of pride that people who work in the trades have for the knowledge they gain and the crafts they practice.

"We need to do a better job at enticing young people and their parents to the skilled trades," said Labour, Training and Skills Development minister Monte McNaughton. "For too long, we haven't viewed these challenging positions as a viable first option. That needs to change. Our Open for Business, Open for Jobs strategy, including our new advertising campaign, will go a long way towards making the skilled trades more attractive."

The province is facing a serious labour shortage which has the potential to get progressively worse. On any given day, tens of thousands of jobs go unfilled. Many of those are in the skilled trades. Over the first nine months of 2019, Ontario employers had, on average, 204,000 job openings across all occupations and industries. Of these, 13,000 were in the construction sector.

The ads, which speak to parents as well as young people, are just one part of the government's strategy to open up the skilled trades for young people and businesses. The government is also investing approximately $75 million in three programs to expose high school students to the trades: $12.7 million in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, $42 million in the Specialist High Skills major program and $20.8 million in a pre-apprenticeship program.

"The reality is that the skilled trades offer exciting and challenging careers that often require solid math and problem-solving skills, and expose people to the latest technologies such as 3D printing and robotics," said McNaughton. "When it comes to opportunity, to earning potential, to having a chance to start your own business, the skilled trades come out on top."

Skills Ontario, which promotes training and careers in the skilled trades to youth, expressed its support for the province’s advertising campaign. The organization says it is essential that businesses be able to close their skills gaps, and that it will continues to provide solutions to encourage youth to learn about the trades.

“Skills Ontario is pleased that the government is facilitating awareness to people about opportunities in skilled trade careers,” said CEO Ian Howcroft. “For over 30 years, Skills Ontario has been promoting skilled trade and technology opportunities to youth, and we look forward to building on our partnership with the government to continue to address the labour shortages in these sectors.”