The job outlook for millwrights is excellent, with every province showing moderate to very-good job opportunities over the next 5 years via the Job Bank. Yet, for companies, the outlook isn’t so peachy. The labour shortage continues to drag down investments and impact performance in April 2023.
Here are the biggest news stories you need to read this month.
Canada Continues to Fuel Investment into Women in the Trades
The post-COVID tradespeople ecosystem has been drenched in labour shortages. In an attempt to combat these headaches, Canada’s Labour Party has put aside $470 million to support funding for apprenticeships for women. Both women and indigenous people have special grant pathways, and companies that hire either will see double funding.
As part of this windfall, Canada’s apprenticeship grant program — one of many ways to help tradespeople secure capital— offered a specialized grant for apprentice women. Currently, the application period is over. The total funding amount for the first cycle has yet to be disclosed. According to the government, these types of programs should help approximately 10,900 women gain a red seal between 2023–2024 and 2026–2027.
Canada also offers plenty of unique programs like the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s (NWAC) new National Apprenticeship Program (NAP). It provides $10,000 to employers who take on indigenous women.
An additional $2.4 million has been set aside to help “diversify the trades.” Each day, the sheer number of programs aimed at helping women and indigenous groups join red seal trades grows. And the already $1 billion invested in apprenticeship programs looks like its set to grow over the next decade — a stark reminder that Canada desperately needs tradespeople.
$13 Billion in Economic Damages and Rising
According to a recent study from the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), tradespeople shortages have cost the Canadian economy over $13 billion over the last year. Despite a re-ramp of productivity and job sites, the labour shortage continues to drag down economic growth. According to Skills Ontario, millwrights continue to be the most in-demand jobs during this skills crisis.
Millwright Shortages Have Companies Looking Overseas
The millwright shortage has some automotive manufacturers rushing to secure overseas talent. Tier 1 suppliers like Linamar Corp and organizations like the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) have both focused their efforts on finding overseas millwrights due to a lack of available talent according to Automotive News Canada.
Alberta alone has over 100,000 job openings. And, according to CBC, millwrights are one of the harder positions to fill during this shortage. As the labour shortage continues, massive corporations are exploring every opportunity. Currently, no strategy seems sound enough to paper over the cracks. The shortage drags on, and the differentiating factor between success and failure is often down to talent — especially when it comes to millwrights.
WORKFORCE Can Help You Navigate the Labour Crisis
At WORKFORCE, we help companies find the right millwrights and millwrights find the right companies. To learn more about how we can help you secure the talent you need to succeed, contact us.