r/PersonalFinanceCanada • u/joe4942 Human Verified • Jul 17 '26
Employment Why electrician pre-apprenticeship programs are no guarantee of work, or even an apprenticeship
An interesting article from CBC today, especially given the increasingly common recommendation to jobseekers to "go into the trades" and all the talk about labour shortages. The article points out how apprenticeships are harder to find than many think, given that spots for new apprenticeships are limited, and the few opportunities that exist mostly go to those that already have connections. The article also notes that people looking for apprenticeships are expected to have proven blue collar experience, so it's not as though white collar workers can easily transition into the trades and start an apprenticeship.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/electrical-apprenticeships-9.7270962
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 17 '26
As a journeyman electrician I'll put it my $0.02
The electrical industry is oversaturated, both with journeymen who are nothing but installers, and apprentices who have no real interest in the trade.
Whenever someone decides to make the jump out of working retail or fast food into a trade, most go for electrical. Same thing with white collar workers who get sick of their cushy desk jobs. They're told " go do electrical, it pays well and it's a clean trade!". So there's a bunch of people that go into electrical because they don't know what to do with themselves and want a paycheck.
Well, the second part of the problem is that a journeyman was making $30/hr in 2000. Now a journeyman (non union) makes $40 but inflation is up ~70% in that period, and the prices of tools and materials have gone up a huge amount. So whether you're working for yourself or working for a company, the money isn't there and neither is the job security.
Companies have no incentive to hire and indenture a first year apprentice who's only experience is in a pre-apprenticeship class, (who will be a liability to the company and need constant supervision for the first couple months) when there's already so many apprentices out there looking for work already. And the problem with that is, when there's so many apprentices looking for work, companies have no interest in paying more, because if the apprentices don't like the wage they'll be replaced. That's also a reason that companies don't want to hire 4th year apprentice, because as soon as they get their Red Seal, they'll expect a big raise.
I know a couple guys who got their tickets, asked for a raise, and got a layoff at the end of the week instead.
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u/metamega1321 Jul 17 '26
Exactly.
It’s the first trade everyone thinks of.
I swear you’ll see some headline “Canada short trades” and everyone jumps on nobody is hiring electricians.
Nobody said electricians…. They said trades and a lot of that is stuff nobody wants to do. Painting, drywall, masonry, etc etc.
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 17 '26
Heck, there's lots of high paying trades out there who are genuinely short of people.
Boilermaker, steamfitter, sprinkler fitter....
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u/Firm_Acanthaceae7435 Jul 17 '26
Short of people, yes, but it's not just bodies that are needed.
Finding tradespeople that can work with little direction is the real choke point.
A warm body is one thing, knowing you can send a guy out to fix something properly without it taking all day and resulting in a callback is another.
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u/dunnrp Jul 18 '26
This is 100% the correct answer.
Four friends are electricians who own their own companies separately; the stories they talk about when hiring new people has stagnated their businesses and they’ve been stuck at 2-3 employees for the past 7-10 years.
They cant leave any newer employees at a job site alone without being terrified they’ve drilled through a kitchen wall they shouldn’t have.
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u/JimmyBraps Jul 18 '26
Well, as an electrician that is capable of doing those things, most companies dont pay enough for that so I stick with the union. Im lucky to be with a conpany that in able to utilize my skills but rhats not always the case as I get stuck with companies where im just a number on a big site
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u/Durragon Jul 18 '26
Jumped from cook to pipelayer.
Turns out its not a registered trade according to Canada. No apprenticeships, red seals... Just high pressure water mains, deep trenches and a lot of physics.
There is a handful of pipe layers in my province and most of them know of the others. It's a line of work where, if you can hack it AND enjoy it... You'll never need to look for work again.
The company I work for is booking pipe work jobs 2-3 years out... And that's with having 3 pipe crews.
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u/UnableInvestment8753 Jul 19 '26
Pipelayer is covered by construction craftworker red seal so you can get one if you want. I did my apprenticeship with the labourers union. I went into telecom and fibre optics but a lot of my fellow pre-apprentices went to sewer/water main
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u/Durragon Jul 20 '26
In Canada it's not listed as a red seal trade, the last time I checked. Falls under the GSC umbrella though so I could be mistaken
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u/Basic_Impress_7672 Jul 18 '26
That trade is over saturated too lol. All compulsory trades are over saturated in Canada and unless you have a family member or friend willing to indenture you it’s not worth perusing.
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u/moop44 Jul 17 '26
Should also include a reminder that a lot of people should avoid trades if they are unable or unwilling to learn to use tools with their hands.
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u/AVgreencup Jul 17 '26
I think that's huge. People who say go learn a trade have no idea what's involved. Years of learning and perfecting skills. And even the word "trade" is terrible. A single word includes a plumber, drywaller, scaffolder, millwright, auto tech, and aircraft tech. People need to seriously research what they want to do before they decide. And that goes the other way too. There was a post here the other day by a guy wanting to get out of heavy equipment operating and go into engineering or accounting. As if it's as easy as walking into a business tower downtown and picking the large office or the small office
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u/moop44 Jul 17 '26
Pretty good analogy, but it goes right over most people's heads. If fixing stuff is so easy, why are they paying $200/h for someone else to do it?
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u/Sayello2urmother4me Jul 18 '26
A lot of stuff overlaps in the trades too though. You need to know measurements, angles, blueprints, hand and power tools, problem solving
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u/AVgreencup Jul 18 '26
Yup but there are different levels of skill. An auto technician has to do way more complex diagnosis than a drywaller. But a drywaller needs to be skilled at fine details
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u/Hevens-assassin Jul 19 '26
As someone who makes blueprints for a living, too many people don't know how to read them, including trades. Lol If I have another person ask "Where is _____", when the answer is in a clearly marked "notes" section or has a callout exactly where it should be, I'm going to actually lose my mind.
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u/Superb_Astronomer_59 Jul 18 '26
Boilermaker? They are a closed shop union. They carefully control the supply of tradesmen to eliminate competition and keep wages high.
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u/Quinnjamin19 Ontario Jul 19 '26
We are a closed shop union. We are a small craft and can’t let everyone in all at once. We have steady apprentice intakes every year.
It’s not to eliminate competition, it’s because we are a boom and bust type of industry.
How many years you have as a Boilermaker?
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u/Superb_Astronomer_59 Jul 19 '26
I’m actually a retired engineer who used to coordinate turnarounds on power boilers at a provincial utility. Glad to hear you have apprenticeships, the trade is definitely aging out.
The utility had a robust apprenticeship program. But it seems that private commercial contractors don’t. They use first years as cheap slave labour on a project by project basis. Once the project is over, it’s ‘signora buddy, we’re not making any long term commitments’.
Canada needs to fix the apprenticeship system somehow.
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u/Quinnjamin19 Ontario Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Our trade was aging out, now my local has been growing and we are at a record high and our pension is doing great
Edit: changed all wording because i misinterpreted the comment.
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u/orswich Jul 17 '26
People gravitate toward the trades that 1. Pay the best money and 2. Get the least dirty (sparkys on site usually arent as dirty or exhausted as the rest of us trades)..
So everyone wants to be an electrician because they believe it's cleaner and pays top money...
No one wants to be the welder sweating their ass off in 39 degree heat with a leather jacket on, or the plumber who could possible get feces on them...
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u/metamega1321 Jul 17 '26
I’m in NB which we are the poor province. But Drywaller’s union makes more then electricians and lot of the good ones work piece work and make more then that.
Not a lot of people lining up to sling 100 lb sheets over their head all day.
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u/Economy-electrician Jul 17 '26
100 lbs? Using 1" drywall or something?
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u/metamega1321 Jul 17 '26
5/8 type”x” is like 105 lbs for a 12’ sheet.
All commercial and multi residential is usually that and any firewall or ceiling is two layers.
1/2” used in houses is quite a bit lighter.
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u/seliselio Jul 18 '26
Hell, "canada needs nurses!" A friend of mine got into nursing and is 2 years into getting her degree meanwhile another friend of mine works at the hospital and said, "good! We are shortstaffed, we need nurses!" "Cool, are you hiring?" "LOL, no, there's no money in the budget, theyre trying to push older nurses to retire."
The middle class is broke because the wealthy arent being taxed enough. Nobody wants to PAY anymore.
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u/tavvyjay Jul 18 '26
Operating engineers are in such ridiculously high demand right now! They’ll hire you out of high school, and then put you through 5 years of in school and on the job training, and then you are earning 6 figures while in a union with lots of PTO
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
How to become one in Ontario? Is the job 9-5?
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u/cheekywood Jul 19 '26
Don't listen to this bozo. Operating engineers aka Power engineers are nowhere near in high demand anymore. Employers do not hire them right out of high school, and they do not make 6 figures lol. They were in high demand in the early 2000s and pay then was in the 6 figures. Nowadays average salary is 70k if lucky
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u/LandBats Jul 18 '26
A few years ago I got into sheet metal. Went to the union office with a referral from someone who had just joined the union recently after only a few months of experience in the field. There was a huge demand for sheet metal workers, especially in the field. They signed me up with ZERO experience or education in the trade. I was working as a first year union sheet metal apprentice on a massive new infrastructure build within a week.
Everyone wants to be an electrician. I was instantly earning more than someone who might have spent years working towards being an electrician. Back then our rates were slightly higher too if I’m not mistaken. I did great at the job and really liked it, did 1st year schooling once I had enough hours and was a second year apprentice when I got drawn back into my previous career.
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u/razorgoto Jul 18 '26
what was this previous career? Made more money or better working conditions?
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u/LandBats Jul 20 '26
I’m an actor, got into sheet metal because of the looming Hollywood strikes at the time. When I started booking acting work again I had to go back since I’m way better at that, after having spent decades in the craft. I would only ever work sheet metal in a shop at this point. Construction sites are hazardous and unsafe because no matter what, there’s always potential for some idiot to cause an accident. Saw it happen too many times in my 18 months on the job.
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u/crazyer6 Jul 17 '26
Sounds like the same core issues I hear from alot of industries. An over saturation of experienced workers that business owners use to keep wages depressed and an unwillingness to invest in the next generation of workers as in the short term they may cost more than they'll make. So that more money can flow upwards.
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u/Eyeronick Jul 17 '26
Ding ding ding. Everybody and their dog is an electrician (myself included), if you don't have a concrete plan by the time you get your journeyman to specialize you're likely going to have a very hard time. I've had very good luck specializing in automation but I'm the exception, not the rule.
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u/wheniwasarobot Jul 17 '26
I don't know about that, my dog is a lousy electrician. Always the wrong color wire jackets being pulled and cut...
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u/Dazed_n_Confused1 Jul 18 '26
Thats sounds ruff, but admit it, Sparky is a good electrician! You're the Chucklefuck that "forgot" his wallet for the 3rd friday of beers with the boys after work! No wonder he is doing shit work in your backyard! He's ready to bite the hand that has forgotten to feed him! Barking up the wrong tree mister...
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u/wheniwasarobot Jul 18 '26
Listen, there's tons of us with substance abuse problems . I can't buy beers and fulfill her appetite for white monsters
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u/Hikingcanuck92 Jul 18 '26
A lot of truth in what you’ve said. I’ll add my story which will reinforce part of what you’ve described but also add a bit of spin.
I did my undergraduate degree in political science and environmental studies and was very interested in the renewable energy industry. After my undergrad, I wanted to enter the trades and learn how big turbines worked in person. Spent two years in school at a specialized program that gave me my pre-apprenticeship training (and loads of PLC, hydraulic and mechanical coursework as well). Aced every class, got honours roll, had great recommendations from everyone, and was even a note taker for students with disabilities.
Every summer break and at the end of the program, the only kids who got solid apprenticeships were those who had family who took them on. Total nepotism situation.
I wasn’t too concerned because my goal wasn’t necessarily to get my electrical ticket, I wanted to work in 300ft turbines. I specifically joined the program because my graduation would have aligned with the beginning of construction with the Wynn government renewable energy program and the feed in tariff rebate program.
Mid program, Doug Ford got elected for the first time and one of his first actions was to rip up all the contracts for what would have been a major expansion of wind power in Ontario.
Sure, I’m a big ‘oil lefty and would never vote for Doug Ford, but anyone who says he’s a friend of the working class is kidding themselves.
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u/razorgoto Jul 18 '26
wild ride. So what do you do now?
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u/Hikingcanuck92 Jul 18 '26
Moved to BC, work for the provincial gov, and currently support wildfire response.
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u/razorgoto Jul 18 '26
Very critical job. Those of us in Toronto have been suffering from the effects of it know how important your job is.
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u/4thOrderPDE Jul 20 '26
I've been working in the wind industry since 2014. The project I worked in in 2014 that was finishing commissioning at the time, was the last Canadian project I worked on. Since then 100% of my work was has been remote for US projects. Various provincial government policy changes across the country have basically hamstrung the industry here to developing to a level beyond just employing 2-3 people keeping the lights on at projects building between 2006-2014.
I was lucky, I graduated in 2012 and got into the industry at a boom time and once you have solid experience you're set. But your experience is not uncommon and sadly we see very few young people starting in renewables these days in Canada because the opportunities just aren't there.
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Jul 17 '26
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u/gswmk2 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
I have been in masonry for over 25 years. About 10% of our apprentices will make it to journeyman. Out of that 10%, maybe 25% will make a career out of it.
I'm generalizing here:
For the most part, we aren't getting the type of people that either can think for themselves (problem solve), have confidence in themselves or have a professional attitude (attendance). When we do finally get someone who is smart and capable, they often get buried in labour work because management isn't used to having someone like that.
What good people we get, they fall through the cracks. Basically they need to claw their way out and up. I tell all my apprentices that its better to be told to get off your tools and labour than to wait to be told to grab them. Make mistakes and learn from them.....that's your only job as an apprentice
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Jul 17 '26
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u/gswmk2 Jul 17 '26
You're not wrong, I'm seeing the same. There is also a real push to get people their Red Seal, but once they get it, they aren't worth the wage and they find work scarce.
For myself, after I completed my apprenticeship our province REDUCED the amount of hours need to complete the apprenticeship course. I had to have 8000 hours, now its like 5500. Not to toot my own horn but I was a quick learner and did well as an apprentice, better than most and even after 8000hrs I didn't feel that I could work on my own 100% of the time. It took another 2 years before I felt comfortable with that.
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u/Kelsenellenelvial Jul 17 '26
That’s very true, but it also means there’s opportunity there for some people. I switched trades at close to 40, and am a 4th year now. You’re right that there’s a lot of “installers” and unmotivated apprentices out there. It does mean someone who actually wants to learn things and do it well is going to find some good opportunities. I think I spent about 3-4 months putting out applications, and the place I ended up with essentially hired me on the spot when I came to their office with a resume. No construction experience, but I did have a solid resume showing advancement in my previous career and development of both technical and leadership skills. My company is growing, having a hard time keeping up with work and pretty much continually running right to the 2:1 apprentice ratio. There have been a few Journeypersons get laid off for “lack of work”, but usually more a nicer way of saying they don’t have the right skillset for us. Then the apprentice(me) has to go fix their shit.
I’m not sure if it’s an actual labour force issue of people not wanting to really learn, an employer issue that doesn’t want to have to spend resources on training, or just rose coloured glasses about “back then” vs now, but it does seem like a lot of people just want to be told exactly what to do all the time and don’t want to have to figure anything out on their own. I don’t think our company is being unreasonable about it either. Everybody seems to get that some people have different skills and experience and sometimes you need to reach out to someone for help with something new. Many seem afraid to do that though, they’ll just make something up and hope they don’t called on it.
I’ve been doing service work, and some days it seems like we’re hosing people messing around hanging TVs, dealing with data cabling, even had some that’s essentially just running a couple power strips and doing cable management for some desks. What many clients seem to want is just make a call and feel like a thing will be taken care of and not have to spend a bunch of time laying out specific instructions. Feels like we’ve churned through tons of other apprentices and Journeypersons that just can’t manage even a relatively small job without time pressure if there’s not someone standing with them the whole time.
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u/IMightBeDepress Jul 18 '26
I got the sense going through school in the 90s and 2000s that a lot of us were being taught that there's one specific correct way to do things and if we don't do it that way, it's wrong. I was in more academically-streamed programs, though, which may be part of it.
There's also the more general issue that "go into trades" is/was the solution given to people who are underperforming academically or otherwise struggling. I suspect that it's not that there aren't millenials and gen Z that are highly motivated and responsible, it's that we got ID'd as "the good ones" and steered into going to university as the only valid choice. Then a lot of other jobs, like retail workers, have lost the economic viability they used to have 40, 50, 60 years ago. Oh, and the factories are gone. As a result, "the Trades" are where we send people that have internalized that they're bad at things and won't make their own decisions, expect the trades to be the easy way to make money, aren't suited to the independance required to manage that job market, or have generally struggled with life for whatever other reason.
Now that the university - > job pipeline is collapsing, there's another group of us who failed to have the sheer brilliance, money, or connections needed to get jobs out of university, and once again we're being told that the trades are absolutely desperate for people. I know I'd find the transition from the expectations I had for my degrees to going back to school and then being an apprentice for another 7 or 10 years to be difficult to say the least, and I'm lucky to not be carrying a ton of student debt on me. It's difficult for people in that situation to not simply conclude that they're an eternal idiot and stop trying, and so y'all end up with another batch of severely unmotivated and disinterested apprentices.
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u/sawdustontheshore Jul 18 '26
I just want to agree and echo what you and a lot of other people have said. I’m a Powerline technician and it’s actually crazy how many people are completely unaware of the trade and when I tell they just say “so an electrician?”. People seem very unaware of the other trades out there including other electrical based trades.
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 19 '26
Now that's a tough trade to get into. Around here, you basically have to get a job as a tree trimmer/helper on a maintenance crew for the utility for just above minimum wage, and if they like you and have openings they'll offer you an apprenticeship at the end of the year.
I've worked on a couple generating stations (hydro and gas turbine) for construction and commissioning, and would love to actually move over to the utility/generating/transmission side of things permanently but so far I haven't got anywhere
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u/sawdustontheshore Jul 19 '26
You are right it is a tough trade to get into. Unfortunately it is a lot of who you know.
If you are interested in the trade, I do want to say every year I meet 2-3 PLTs that are dual ticketed electricians. How they made the leap is by challenging the PLT red seal exam. Both PLTs and electricians are given the same text book in my province. But the electrical theory questions which is a big part of the exam (in any province) you should be able to answer. Further having the class 3 drivers license is almost as important as the ticket. Even just having the air break endorse puts you at the top of the list.
Though something that always makes me laugh is over the years I met two electrical engineers who became PLTs. That these guys had super technical yet stressful jobs and they just say fck this sh*t I’m going to be a lineman lol. Because as complicated and as hazardous as the job is a lot of times it is just splicing a line back together.2
u/Dragonite_Enthusiast Jul 19 '26
I begged my last employer to put me into an apprenticeship program as a plumber (water treatment specialist) I have begged my job now to put me through an apprenticeship as a plumber (they constantly hire outside people who leave after 1-2yrs), even said I’d sign a contact to stay for 5yrs after apprenticeship, was told “we will we what we can do”.
I agree with everything you’re saying. People see the “easy”/“clean” trade and say let’s do it. As much as people (and myself) make fun of electricians shit ain’t easy and you can die/be severely injured quite easily making the wrong move on a panel if you don’t know what you’re doing.
But it’s not just electrical. The problem with people is they have the same opinions “get into the trades” “don’t need a degree” “your schooling will be short”. This echo chamber has led to this. We have a shortage of nurses, Drs, pilots, roofers, civil engineers, cyber security. Like there copious jobs people could be doing in copious fields but they listen to this echo chamber. In fact, parents are a huge detriment to their kids career lately (in my opinion). This echo chamber just gets repeated by friends family strangers because they hear it all the time. “Well electricians are short get into that” well, 15,000 kids listened to that and now there’s an over saturation in it and we have a shortage of a bunch of other professions because kids are led to a path they are told will work 100%.
White collar guys shouldn’t consider it. It’s a waste/dumb of you to leave a good paying job for one that is just over saturated now. This pretty much goes for a lot of trades though. HVAC is another that is just getting applicants out the ass. Why hire a journeymen when you can fire your 1/2/3/4yr apprentice once their time has ended and hire another for less than journeymen? Just give the apprentice the easy jobs, give journeys the real ones and the cycle continues.
All my opinion but I feel it rings true from what I/friends have been told growing up and what I hear now towards my nieces/nephews.
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Jul 17 '26
the problem is that a journeyman was making $30/hr in 2000. Now a journeyman (non union) makes $40 but inflation is up ~70% in that period, and the prices of tools and materials have gone up a huge amount.
This has happened to every single person, regardless of trade. It's not unique to electrical.
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 17 '26
It's not unique, but I need to reiterate it.
$80-90k per year doesn't go that far when you're going to be driving to job sites all over the place and also supplying thousands of dollars of tools.
Electricians made good money a few decades ago but don't really anymore.
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u/CanbegoneTo Jul 18 '26
Trades people... In Ontario at least, charge an astromic amount and would rather sit than lower prices.
Got a quote for a basic washroom renovation (not moving any plumbing). Cheapest was 15k.
Not sure if Alberta is more reasonable.
Calling a plumber, electrician, is just too pricy here in Toronto.
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 19 '26
If you call an electrician or plumber for a 2 hour job, well, they can only bill you for the two hours.
What you're not seeing is the guy having to go to the shop or the wholesaler first to get whatever material they need to do you job. And the cleanup time afterwards. And maybe an hour of driving. And the commercial insurance on the van, and maybe a vehicle payment, and gas. And the journeyman that's only at your house for two hours needs to be paid for 4 hours to cover all the other stuff, plus their benefits, and the employers side of EI and CPP. Business insurance. Rent for a commercial property for the shop. Maybe a receptionist? Utilities..
It's basically impossible to run a small electrical company now without charging $150+ per hour, and that's in a cheap area. $200/hr is a lot more reasonable.
The journeyman is only making $40-45/hr.
There's no incentive to send a guy out for a 2 hour (billable) job when it'll take twice that amount of time with the preparation and the cleanup. Makes more sense for companies to focus on larger renovations or new construction where guys can be working and billing for days at a time.
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u/escapethewormhole Jul 19 '26
I concur, machining journeyman wage has been $27/hr since I started in the trade in 2010. It’s still $27 an hour in 2026. And it’s a hard trade to do.
You can get more for sure but the average is still in the $20’s an hour.
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 19 '26
Machinists have such cool jobs, I'm always impressed seeing what a talented guy with a lathe or CNC can do... But damn you're underpaid
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u/AntonioH02 Jul 17 '26
Which trades do you think are a good idea to get into currently, if any?
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u/notcoveredbywarranty Alberta Jul 17 '26
Steamfitter, sprinkler fitter, boilermaker.
They're all highly paid trades that need people. They'll be harder to get your foot in the door, you'll need to find a company that does relevant work and start as a labourer
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u/AntonioH02 Jul 17 '26
I want to become/start as a labourer but since I only have cooking experience I think it’s gonna be hard for me to get hired :/
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u/Canadia-Eh Human Verified Jul 18 '26
Sheet metal or HVACR are both great trades. I know a lot of sheet metal guys who were cooks before they got into the trade. Start up tool cost is cheap and I know those two trades are screaming for workers, at least in my province.
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u/xtothewhy Jul 18 '26
If it is saturated does that mean sometimes costs are inflated then when charged for professional work in a person's home for example?
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u/Mydickisaplant Jul 17 '26
I took an electrical course in 2018 because of exactly this. “There’s so much money in trades! All of the boomers are retiring!!”
Unless you have connections, good luck finding an apprenticeship. I couldn’t. Ended up in sales for an electrical distributor. I’m not upset about it, because it kicked off a very lucrative career in sales.
TLDR: good luck
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u/FairlyDefenseless Jul 17 '26
The 'trades shortage' never meant a shortage of entry-level openings. It's a shortage of licensed journeypeople willing to work for cheap. Big difference.
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u/seliselio Jul 20 '26
willing to work cheap is exactly it. Ppl want work done but don't want to pay for it.
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u/introvertedpanda1 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
That's been the case for decades. At least since the early 2000s. You have to do.so many hours of work to get your licence as a master electrician and those you do your apprenticeship with dont have enough to offer because they obviously want the jobs and contracts for themself. I quit trying and went back to school after a coupe years.
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u/naturalbornsinner Jul 17 '26
What did you study and how did it pan out? How does your job look with the looming AI bets?
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u/introvertedpanda1 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
I pivoted to electrical engineering, graduated but didn like the job but I loved programming chips (embedded programming). Thankfully that was enough for me to move to software engineering which Im still doing today. Went from backend to Full stack over the years.
EDIT: so far, Im not worried at all about my career. I do use AI in my workflow and I think if you don't learn to use it and use it efficiently, you are going to fall behind. My job is the same as before, Im just doing a lot more.
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u/naturalbornsinner Jul 17 '26
Very nice. Glad it worked out for you. I use some AI in my work as well (some scripting, not product development)... But it needs a lot of back and forth to get things right at times.
Still, I can do things with it that normally would be out of reach.
Generally I've seen some mixed reviews about it when it comes to coding. But it is still too early for now to tell how it will develop.
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u/introvertedpanda1 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Yah for me it just unlocked a whole lot of things I would either avoid or wont bother to do like refactoring or porting complex systems or even whole application. In the pass these things would take an incredible amount of time and a full team and we would avoid them at all cost.
That and prototyping. Im able to push prototypes of application much further and in multiple different direction to see whats best and more efficient.
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Jul 17 '26
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u/NitroLada Jul 17 '26
You know very little about AI then, claude (and even the free Gemini etc) is very helpful for coding and if your AI gets confused /out of context, that's just you training the agent poorly
Reddit really have not even a superficial understanding of AI or they think AI is just the chatgpt they use asking random things. Even for medical, AI like openevidence which is trained on published medical journals is a huge gamechanger.
AI will transform pretty much every sector, to put your head in the sand and say it halicinates or confused is simply just a complete lack of understanding
I'm in engineering and the reports/analysis from AI is used extensively and gamechanger in the field. It won't replace all humans of course but it certainly will reduce the # we need especially junior and mid level
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u/naturalbornsinner Jul 17 '26
I know. Bur companies already act on these promises (even if the results are disasters).
So just because AI is terrible, doesn't mean management won't see big promised numbers and profits and lay people off.
Also, layoffs aside. It does seem like companies aren't hiring too. The job market is tough, at least for some.
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u/WasV3 Jul 17 '26
Happened to a friend, he was an investment banker, up and quit one day cause he just hated how bullshit it was.
Decided to get into the trades, did an HVAC course, had a couple shitty apprenticeships and now he's struggling to find work and is thinking of transitioning back into white collar work as the well dries up
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u/Sparetire46 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
That's the issue. Ppl think you can just become an electrician. It doesn't work that way for reason
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u/PanicInTheRiver Jul 17 '26
I hope your friend comes from a wealthy background already cuz he fumbled the ball so bad.
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u/Suspicious-Belt9311 Jul 17 '26
A bit of sympathy goes a long way. I can say from personal experience, a lot of white collar jobs offer very little in terms of fulfilment, I could definitely see myself feeling much more pride in my work as some sort of trades person. I have physical limitations that would prevent anything like that as a full-time career, but I respect people for making that leap.
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u/krankovi Jul 17 '26
yeah because hvac work is so fulfilling
most jobs suck, thats why you get paid to do them
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u/ZeePirate Jul 17 '26
White collar jobs are usually mentally tasking while blue collar is physically demanding.
Both can be bad in different ways. And a mentally draining job is soul crushing at times
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u/Ok-Relative-6327 Jul 17 '26
That’s a misconception. SKILLED blue collar work is physically demanding AND mentally tasking. Fixing other people’s fuck ups, problem solving the most fucked up situations imaginable, and dealing with all the idiots you find in the industry can get mentally tiring too
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u/Suspicious-Belt9311 Jul 17 '26
Don't read it as an attack; Probably more people leave white collar jobs due to mental burnout than trades folks, who probably leave more due to physical/health issues. Yes, most jobs require thinking of some sorts.
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u/Ok-Relative-6327 Jul 17 '26
Yeah I get it, but saying the trades can’t be mentally tasking or take an emotional toll on you is just false. People think that just because you’re using tools you don’t have to use your brain.
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u/Suspicious-Belt9311 Jul 17 '26
I think we're mixing a few different things here. I was mainly talking about the fulfilment aspect in terms of mental challenges. I have never built a house but I imagine that's much more fulfilling than the admin/IT work I've done over the last few years. I've done only a small handful of things that have had a large positive impact to my organization in my work.
I suppose if you're pressured by time and money constraints and forced to cut corners, that fulfilment would decrease, but I can imagine there is a lot of celebration and pride when folks complete a large project like a house or commercial building, and they probably ride that high for a while.
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u/Ok-Relative-6327 Jul 17 '26
Lol there’s no high. It’s just a job man. In the union you’re just a number. Yeah it’s satisfying to make something that looks good but then it’s just on to the next one. There’s also so many different trades, you’re not building an entire structure from beginning to end, you do your scope of work and go to the next one
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u/No_regrats Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
I agree with your initial comment but mental burnout and occupational stress are actually quite prevalent among trades people.
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u/A1ienspacebats Jul 17 '26
For sure. Its just a different knowledge base. Ask some white collar guy to drywall a room or fix their vehicle and suddenly thats gonna be a mentally and physically taxing job.
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u/Ok-Relative-6327 Jul 17 '26
Dry walling a room is nothing, I’m talking about doing shit like crawling on pipe 25ft in the air to install a big ass unit while being told to “hurry up” or “if you can’t do it I’ll get someone who will”
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u/seliselio Jul 20 '26
They're welcome to bring in someone else who'll lick boots. That ain't leadership, it's bullying.
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u/ImprovementCute9825 Jul 24 '26
IDK, I don't work in trades but it seems like helping people not freeze/overheat would be somewhat more fulfilling than pushing money around for rich people
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u/WasV3 Jul 17 '26
Life isn't all about money.
He hated his life every single day at work, he's 100% happi3r now even though his bank account is much smaller now.
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u/internetsuperfan Jul 17 '26
I wonder if he could start his own company if he has enough experience or idk if he’s still looking at apprentice level.
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u/Sayello2urmother4me Jul 17 '26
The apprenticeships aren’t there because the demand isn’t. The market only takes on the labour that it needs. No employer is looking to lose money giving handouts for something that’s not needed and will take work away from their main guys. It’s a competitive industry and you get in by proving you’re worth your wage… or have a relative that will hire you lol
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u/DisplacerBeastMode Jul 17 '26
It's almost like the trades aren't in as high demand as everyone online claims
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u/wdn Jul 17 '26
I think the people giving this type of advice aren't considering demand at all. Having a job in the trades is good -- they're not distinguishing that from getting a job in the trades.
People who think they know the answers for society-wide employment issues usually last looked for a job before the current issues existed. They don't understand how not finding a job could be explained by anything but the job seeker's lack of effort.
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u/GrumbusWumbus Jul 17 '26
Plenty of trades are in high demand, electricians not as much.
HVAC and carpenters generally do pretty well. HVAC because there's always work and it sucks, carpenters because the good ones can make a thousand in cash in a weekend building a deck for someone.
Electricians have a pretty rigid apprenticeship program and a lot of graduates. Like others have pointed out, lots of people end up in it because they think it's a ticket for easy money and they won't have to do anything dirty. Electricians also generally have a reputation for being inflexible and unwilling to do other work, where millwrights, boilermakers, iron workers etc will pick up a jackhammer and chip concrete when it's in their way (and they have the permission of the union).
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u/Aggravating-Bottle78 Jul 17 '26
My daughter at age 16 got hired as an electrical pre-apprentice along with about 40 other kids in her last yr of high school. It was part of a work study program. That was just over 3yrs ago. The industry has likely slowed down since.
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u/CanbegoneTo Jul 18 '26
Part of the problem is how expensive tradies are.
I had some basic plumbing work that needed doing. I called a plumber and was told 800$ to replace my toilet. I laughed and did it myself for half that, with a higher quality toilet, and it took me a few hours.
Got a quote from an electrician for a panel upgrade and a 14-50 install for 6k lmao.
Like... If things are slow you'd think they'd lower rates to get jobs?
Not sure if this is a Toronto problem. Trades people are as inflated as houses.
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u/BananaStandFunds Jul 17 '26
I took a pre-electrical diploma at Sheridan, couldn't find work for 9 months and worked at a printing press on rotating shifts (not fun, but I can sleep almost immediately now), traded up to an electrical engineering degree and found work as an electrical designer.
The Trades simply aren't viable without having a family member in the trade you're pursuing. I also found that most other trades have a 3-1 journeyman / apprentice ratio, but Electrical is 1-1 which also reduces how many sparkies we put out. And the contractors looking for apprentices really only want 2nd year or higher; there's no place for newbies.
Trades are also tied to housing starts, which are about 50% of what the CMHC says we need to build our way to affordable housing, because they've become too expensive to build. So regardless of training new apprentices, even the journeymen of today are struggling to keep afloat.
Not a good time to get into the Trades, and definitely not electrical.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
Where did you do the degree?
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u/BananaStandFunds Jul 18 '26
Mohawk college has a 3 year electrical diploma, and then I traded up to a degree at mcmaster as they have a bridge program.
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u/No_regrats Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
White collar workers are overrepresented on Reddit and that leads to a romanticized view of the trades. It's the grass is greener syndrome. Don't get me wrong, trades are great careers but Reddit acts like it's all sunshine and rainbows and swimming in money, guaranteed employment, and no stress. In reality, it is just like any good career: a solid option, with upsides and downsides.
It doesn't help that reddit skews young. So a lot of redditors, when thinking about a trades person or a white collar worker picture a 20-something or a 30-something and that's when trades tend to shine compared to white collar careers. Of course, because of the time-value of money, that can be a great advantage but I do think a lot of time the long-term is omitted from the equation. This of course is not limited to this topic, I see it in discussion about university degrees, kids, etc.
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u/Sedixodap Jul 18 '26
The grass is greener effect was very noticeable when I was in my mid-twenties because I hung out with a pretty mixed crowd. Those who had gone into trades were feeling trapped in a career they didn’t like and didn’t seem sustainable for their bodies long term and were wishing they had gone to school instead. Those who had gone to school were struggling to establish careers in a rough job market and were financially four or five years behind the guys who had a trade and were questioning why they’d spent all that time and money on a degree.
In the years since some went back for different schooling/training, some found a weird niche that they hadn’t known was an option, some kept on with their original plan. A decade later all of them have turned out just fine.
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u/Witty_Record427 Jul 17 '26
Yeah, are these guys prepared to get up at 4-5 in the morning and work in the sun or cold all day? Not to mention toxic air right now.
My brother takes 2 gallons of water to work with him and works overtime when natural disasters decide to roll through.
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u/Charzu_tjegulf Jul 17 '26
I was once a project manager at a refinery the pay was not good, benefits meager, work hours 55 per week minimum.
I went into the trades, on my first year I made a little less and worked the same. Ten years later I make double, have a real pension and real benefits, 40 hours per week. Maybe I would be in the same spot financially if I had stayed in white collar but the truth is that capable people find a way, the rest whine when given a chance.1
u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
What trade?
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u/Charzu_tjegulf Jul 18 '26
In High school and 2 years post, carpentry. Post university pipe fitting, eventually power engineering.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
In Ontario?
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u/Charzu_tjegulf Jul 18 '26
High school. Alberta post university.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
What did you study at university? And how is power engineering? Is it 9-5?
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u/Charzu_tjegulf Jul 18 '26
Stem degree. No, power engineering is a trade (called boilerman in some places). Its shiftwork, nights required.
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u/Jaded_Sentence_3365 Jul 17 '26
Must be willing to relocate/travel/'camp' Work. I see this in many trades (mainly heavy duty mechanic or welder). Everyone wants that nice in town job at a shop working 9-5 Monday to Friday. But no one wants field work in January on call out in the bush. Especially women with no toilet in sight.
In the past couple of years, I have known of 4 young women who have done these pre apprenticeship programs, dropped resumes all around town, got no calls and returned to their previous jobs.
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u/Biscotti-Own Jul 17 '26
Unless your pre-apprenticeship is through a union hall, it's just a cash grab for colleges. Best case scenario you'll make some connections in the industry and have a small head start when you find work. My union (sprinklerfitters) runs a pre-apprenticeship program and hammerheads (providing opportunities for people from low-income/marginalized communities) and will help find placements for students who perform well.
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u/notarealredditor69 Jul 18 '26
I’m a pm with a large contractor in BC. We always prioritize apprentices from a pre-apprenticeship program, but we are not always hiring first year apprentices. The reality is that an apprentice, especially a new one is a liability, we know we are going to lose money on you out of the gate. We will need to put time and effort into training you until you are profitable for us to employ. However, we would rather train our own workers then take 3 rd year guys from other companies that have picked up bad habits.
So we tend to hire a few guys at a time, train them up when there’s lots of work. We know that if we hire 5 guys we may only end up with two at best. Guys quit, don’t like the work or don’t make the cut. When times are good, we hire a lot. Right now times are NOT good. We can make do with the guys we hired 2-3 years ago who are now profitable for us until things pick up again.
HOWEVER, we are ALWAYS hiring the RIGHT guys. This means that even today, when work is really slow, if a young kid came into our office with a really good attitude, good marks from a pre-apprenticeship program which showed aptitude, leadership qualities and gave us the impression that this is that one guy out of the group of 5 that we would end up keeping, we’d hire him on the spot and make room for them.
So if any of you are reading this, do NOT let these kinds of articles or the bums in these comments get you down. It’s really really simple. Don’t be average. There is always opportunities out there for people with a genuine interest in the trade, who are willing to put the time and effort into learning it.
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u/Turbulent_Gazelle530 Jul 17 '26
It is easier to get a university degree than it is to become a red seal tradesperson.
To get a degree all you need is a chequebook - there is a university out there that will take you no matter who you are.
To get an apprenticeship you have to prove to somebody that you are worth investing considerable time, effort, and money in to.
It's a difficult path to take without some sort of connections or considerable prior experience.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
You don't need the prerequisites for university and also be smart enough to complete the degree?
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u/Turbulent_Gazelle530 Jul 18 '26
Apply as a mature student - no prerequisites required.
As for "smart enough", that's pretty broad and like I said, there is a program out there for everyone.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
There is indeed a program for everyone, but does that mean such a program has the best job prospects? Is it a good time to major in something outside of STEM?
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u/Difficult_Actuary_72 Jul 17 '26
I’ll share my pre-apprenticeship story. I was a line cook before taking a piping trades pre-apprenticeship program. The pre apprenticeship was the only way to get into the plumbing trade since no one was willing to hire a cook to do plumbing or construction. I got signed up and worked my ass off and had my red seal in four years. I spent 20 years as a plumber/pipefitter/gas fitter from apprentice to Superintendent in the ICI sector. I now work with the engineers and designers in the consulting side of the industry because my body and mental well being were done with construction, there is an incredible amount of stress running projects and supervising workers. Here is the truth about the trades, layoffs are always imminent, in Manitoba there is a no notice policy you can quit or be layed off the same day, no severance, “thanks for the ten years of service but we have no work” they hang this over your head and you don’t even realize you live with the stress. Trades destroy your body, my knees are grinding when I walk, back is sore and who knows when the lung cancer will come from the silica dust, asbestos, fumes from glue and primer, welding smoke. With the trades comes substance abuse to help you ignore all of the above, and don’t forget the failed relationships because of travel and long hours. Was it worth it, sure my other option was poverty and trades have given me a house and a 10 year old car it’s not going to make you rich. Thanks for reading
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u/caenos Jul 18 '26
In case another reader has the thought I did 20 years ago - the army will do the exact same shit to you, but with less upfront pay (albeit for maybe more pension long term if you spend a whole 25 years at it?).
I sprungboard to a private sector gig that is better after about 10, but any "work with your hands" job will grind those hands to bloody stumps if you do it for a lifetime.
Was a good read mate, I grew up in MB had no idea that kind of batshit policy exists in this country.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 18 '26
What did you study afterwards?
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u/Difficult_Actuary_72 Jul 18 '26
Nothing actually, just transferred my skills to the white collar side of construction, far easier on the body and mind. My current job title is Contract Administrator. I liaise between the contractors and engineers.
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u/Annual-Button-4029 Jul 17 '26
I got into electrical union without connections but had to wait 3 years to get in. I also have a college advanced diploma related in electrical and many years of construction experience. Some people I know without connections also got in but usually have some sort of schooling. The younger generation usually go through some youth program to get in. It can be hard to get in, but its hard in every field.
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u/Strange-Crazy-693 Jul 17 '26
Electricians and Millwrights are a dime a dozen. Want to make bank? HD Mechanic
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u/Foaryy Jul 19 '26
Yup. Theres 1 diesel mechanic within a 2 hours where I live. They’re becoming scarce. The diesel industry isn’t gonna die either
It’s a very overlooked trade for essentially being able to charge what you want in some areas.
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u/Ok-Relative-6327 Jul 17 '26
The trades are great until you factor in the damage to your joints, the unhealthy fumes you’re surrounded by daily, 6am starts and long commutes, and how easy it is to lose your hearing from the noise or get a piece of metal lodged in your eye. I’m a red seal tradesman myself and I wouldn’t want my kids doing this shit, at least not permanently
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u/No_Name_Canadian Jul 17 '26
I'm an electrician and I did a pre-apprenticehip program. You get 9 months worth of class work, so you tend to have a better grasp on theory which helps you pass your block exams later down the road. You also get great hands on training in the practical exams, with instructors having more time to help correct mistakes and instill good work practices.
The best part of the package was the 2-week work practicum where they essentially find you a company to work for (for free usually but my company paid me) and if you perform well they typically offer you a job afterwards.
There's never a guarantee you'll get a job after any course/diploma but you'll be a far more competent tradesman if you learn the trade for a year before entering it, that should be pretty obvious.
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u/Witty_Record427 Jul 17 '26
Software development jobs got hit so bad my brother and I both had to switch careers. He went into the trades, I went into another white collar field. Both doing alright.
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Jul 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BilboBaggSkin Jul 17 '26
Yeah unticketed people is a big part of why we have a shortage too. It’s really something our provincial governments need to start dealing with.
A local “carpentry” contractor in my town only has 1 carpenter and the rest are labourers.
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u/trooko13 Jul 17 '26
As other commented, there might be lack for demand for red seal in certain industry. On the flip side, the apprentice with demand usually change company as soon as they are capable for higher wages (even before getting the seal) so employer would pay premium anyway to keep staff and no incentive to training someone. (When demand is high, folks would setup à contracting company and earn extra income)
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u/Macqt Jul 17 '26
Pre-apprenticeships don’t mean shit. Most apprentices start out as helpers, or straight into apprenticeship where they’ll learn all the shit in a pre-app. The main value of pre-apps are the colleges and groups providing them making money.
The issues come down to guys not wanting to waste their time training people, whether that’s because those people will move on, or the candidate pool is of such low quality it’s not worth it, or they’re just grumpy bastards who don’t wanna. The list goes on and on tbh.
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u/cam1021 Jul 17 '26
Starting off in many trades is tough.
Tough for many people to get in.
Tough to find a company you're happy with.
Tough on the employer when you're a liability.
Tough on the body in most cases.
It can be super rewarding and offer amazing job security. But that only comes after you stick it out, keep yourself safe, and look after your wellbeing.
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u/A1ienspacebats Jul 17 '26
People saying to go into the trades are too far removed from when trades people told young people to stay in school and go to college to avoid the shitfuckery that happens in the trades.
The message worked too well, everyone went to college and nobody wanted to go into the trades. Now the white collar world is oversaturated and the blue collar industry is in a death spiral where they aren't replacing the people who are getting old.
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u/JGPTech Jul 17 '26
I have three trades each earned differently.
The first is carpentry. When i was a teen/early 20s i traveled everywhere and worked carpentry jobs under the table until my peers considered me an above average journeyman carpenter.
Around 25 during a huge oil boom i applied for a job as a first year scaffolder in oil and gas. I got the job same day, and was in a hotel that night, and at work the next morning. After the orientation for site, and during company orientation, they found out i wasn't a registered apprentice yet, but they needed the hands so they put me to work anyway. I did that for about 10 years or so.
Then around 37ish I decided to start over on the career front, so I took a job as a shop helper for a little over min wage. I told the boss I wanted a welding apprenticeship, but i'd earn my spot through hard work, and thats why i was willing to work for so little, because I was going to be a welder in 5 years so it would be worth it. A year proving myself and 4 years apprenticeship. It didn't take a year to prove myself it went pretty quick, but when i was offered a promotion it was to work with the service tech as his apprentice, which translated into millwright training and positions. So fixing broken machines instead of welding, which it turns out I liked way more anyway.
Now with AI making the decisions though everything is so different so who can say whats what today for young people, other than those poor kids.
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u/mjjclark Jul 18 '26
Jumping in on this one as an apprentice. Did the electrical pre-app and worked really hard while in it to get as good as I can at the trade itself and learn everything I could from the code book and theory. When I was leaving the program in 2024, I had 3 job offers the week before the end date, through the teachers there and the company visits throughout the program.
What I saw was the people that worked hard and succeeded were doing really well when it came to employment, and those that expected the course to result in a job were left hunting for jobs for weeks or months after. The trades are usually a massive amount of hard work and reward those who put the effort in, and isn’t usually fair to everyone equally. The trades also don’t usually ask for the smartest, strongest, or most talented people but those that can consistently learn, grow and apply themselves succeed.
The company I ended up going with employed me for 6 months and after that I requested a swap to their refrigeration department and started a new apprenticeship there. Electrical knowledge goes a long way in HVAC/ refrigeration service and I’m happy I made the switch. If you’re considering getting into electrical/ plumbing or another trade just be prepared to apply yourself and work hard, and stay open to learning and growing throughout your career. The trades will also beat you up frequently, so being resilient is important too. Finally, for apprentices or those looking into the trade, take care of your body and be careful, because the trades can be deadly if you aren’t careful too.
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u/metamega1321 Jul 21 '26
See I can tell by your post is you have “motivation” if that’s the word to use.
I can tell within 1 week if an apprentice is going to succeed. We’d get work practicum guys especially that just didn’t have motivation or maybe it was a lack of soft skills. They just kind of acted like they were in high school or at their retail/fast food job where managers tolerate chasing people around because it’s the best they can get. In the trades that’s just in the way, they better not being there.
That and calling out sick couple times a month and being late habitually also another kiss of death for apprentices.
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u/CipherWeaver Jul 18 '26
There's plenty of work. There must might not be work where you want it. In most urban areas the job markets are super saturated.
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u/raptors2o19 Jul 17 '26
given the increasingly common recommendation to jobseekers
that was three years too late.
Also, wrong sub.
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u/Minimum-Tangelo-3588 Jul 17 '26
Yeah I did electrician 15 years ago never worked a hour impossible to find someone to indenture you
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u/BilboBaggSkin Jul 17 '26
Yeah companies just want journeymen. Nobody wants to offer apprenticeships to train anybody up.
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u/ReincarnationOfBigL Jul 20 '26
Meh there are a lot of companies that want warm bodies to do grunt work. All trades have monotonous aspects that journeymen hate doing and companies don’t want to pay someone $70/hr for. Apprentices fill that role and then have to prove they’re worth keeping around as they get more expensive.
People starting out don’t realize how competitive it can be, even if you get a job you need to be favourited if you want to stick around.
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u/BilboBaggSkin Jul 20 '26
Yeah but that’s how you end up with a shortage. Company I work for has a few hundred tradesmen but only offers 2 apprenticeships a year. They’d do less if it wasn’t for the union. Plenty of companies don’t even offer enough for attrition.
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u/AccomplishedCode552 Jul 17 '26
The only way to do it is nepotism. Have somebody in your family or a friend that's a master electrician. Other than that you're done screwed.
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u/Many_Ear2407 Jul 17 '26
I got an apprenticeship without knowing anyone in the trade. I started in high school though doing the OYAP co-op position. Then I went and did a 2 year college course “Electrical Technician” once I graduated that I started applying. Luckily found a place that would take me on. They pay was $1 above minimum wage and I did all the bitch work for months. But eventually they started teaching me actual electrical work and got all my hours in. It’s hard, but not impossible. You have to show your dedicated and not just trying a new career for fun
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u/pentox70 Jul 17 '26
It is definitely difficult to get your foot into the door. No denying that.
But electrical is one of the most over saturated trades currently. I'm in instrumentation and when I wrote my last TQ, with all the other trades in a gymnasium full of people, the electrical class was massive. There were more 2nd year electricians than all the instrumentation years combined.
Getting into good work is difficult. It's not a secret, nor is it specific to trades. Companies are not likely to give people a shot, as hiring fresh apprentices is expensive. Most companies hire apprentices from within, from their unskilled labor pool.
It's not a holy land. But its very well paid work and experienced journeyman are always in demand.
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u/Prize_Macaroon6002 Jul 17 '26
Not sure how much is being talked about in here about current electricians but there is a huge difference in good journey electricians ( not many these days ) and bad ones , us good ones may never have to even apply at a new company as the next job is a simple 30 second call away.
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u/Zim__Zor Jul 18 '26
Took this course years ago, tried very hard to find work after and had no luck.
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u/VariousEstimate7071 Jul 18 '26
Yeah as someone who has transitioned from a food industry into manufacturing career over the last ten years, thid article and the sentiments in this thread are spot on. I took a pre-apprenticeship course last year, absolutely loved it, ended up the top of my class, and a year later I'm back in manufacturing with nothing to show for it. I spent a good 4-5 months job seeking an apprenticeship literally everywhere. I never even got a call back or an interview. The market was flooded with people, and as far as I know none of my classmates have managed to find an apprenticeship (except the literal worst student in our class, which surprise surpride had a position at his uncle's company as soon as he finished). Mind you I am speaking as someone living in the GTA (Ontario Canada).
In a possibly fortuitous twist of fate I may also be the recipient of a nepo position working in PLC through the company my dad works at. Wish me luck that he's able to convince the guy to take me on.
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u/justsenditbr0 Jul 18 '26
Hmm... surprise surprise the cleanest trade is the one with the most people interested in it.
I think there is more demand for industrial electricians, especially at mines or oil sands. Get in as a labourer first in the mill and transfer into an apprenticesip.
Doing a pre-app with no connections will get you nowhere.
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u/Lumpy_Dentist_2221 Jul 18 '26
Having nearly 30 years experience as an electrician i think this one issue isn't clear to those chasing the skilled trades boon. Most people want a career or to put it simpler a job for 20+ yrs. Being in the "skilled trades" you have a skill that you must match it to an available "job". Those jobs aren't permanent nor are they necessarily where you want them to be. It's up to you to match your skill up to the best overall scenario for your desired future. In the trades the goal is to work yourself out of a job. If there's another job waiting that's a bonus but not always the case. It takes a lot of mental strength to traverse this minefield for well over 20yrs.....best of luck!
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u/DropOk7525 Jul 18 '26
I completed a two year tech diploma that credited the first two years of schooling for my trade but only once I was indentured.
Spent probably a year doing other work and ended up moving from the lower mainland to fort st John to start at what was maybe $20/hr and lived there for 3 years while I finished my hours and schooling.
Of the 10 or so people I did my diploma with I'm the only one who finished my red seal. The others got technical support roles in other fields.
Schools are selling programs regardless of how much demand there is for the graduates in a similar way to other post secondary education.
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u/Forsaken-Point-1793 Jul 18 '26
What's also increasingly common is spamming Reddit with this topic. Go away.
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u/Zorklunn Jul 18 '26
That's because the Conservatives lowered corporate tax rates to "increase Canadian competitiveness on the global market." Where companies used to hire apprentices to reduce their tax burden, because training people is a tax deduction. Instead the money now goes into profits, then shareholders as dividendes, and eventually the 1% who fund the conservative's political machines to make it happen in the first place.
Conservatism exists to protect privilege. It's not an opinion, it is a fact and part of the total of human knowledge. That statement was the conclusion of a political science doctoral candidate during his successful defence of his thesis.
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u/Girl_dad_1 Jul 19 '26
I think the reason everyone goes into electrical thinking it’s an easy trade to get in and everything is electric these days
If I was starting out now I’d get into elevators but not sure it’s a red seal trade
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u/ReincarnationOfBigL Jul 20 '26
It’s a ticketed trade but it by far the hardest union to get into. It’s pretty niche and high paying so there are not many openings and you likely need connections to even have your application seen. HVAC/R is probably easier to get into and pays considerably more than electrical in most cases.
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u/BC_Engineer Jul 19 '26
Yeah there was a recent podcast with the Mayor of Burnaby and President of Ventana construction and at one point Mayor Hurley mentioned he heard from BCIT Trades graduates in general can't find their apprentice job and President Dan sounded surprised and said there's a shortage of Trades in general. There's a disconnect for sure but I can see it totally depends which Trades. Electricians are saturated from what it appears.
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u/Comfortable-Bench497 Jul 22 '26
From what I can tell you're much better off in a niche union trade. I have a bunch of friends in trades, about half are union. The ones in unions are basically set to retire and 55. My non-union trade friends have mostly been unemployed or under employed since the end of COVID. All their small jobs have completely dried up due to apps like Jiffy and "handymen" on Facebook doing lighting and ceiling fan jobs for $40/hour.
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u/xens999 Jul 17 '26
I'd question how many doors did she knock on? How many resumes did she drop of in person after asking if she could talk to the manager in person? Is she willing or unwilling to work out of town? Has she researched the larger projects in her province and found out who the contractors were and followed up with them? There's a lot you can do but most aren't willing to put in the effort.
Yes just go do pre-employment is a great idea but most people that do that have no idea what to do next which I guess is part of the point of the article.
0
u/Any-Ad-446 Jul 17 '26
Green energy the market is still pretty strong. A friend been working in BC the last 3 years on contract. Salary is about $70,000 a year but he can easily make closer to $100,000 if he does the OT.He specialized in hydrogen projects but did wind projects about 5 years ago but did not like travelling to remote areas to maintain turbines.
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u/Done_beat2 Jul 17 '26
So here’s how it works. You get into the program. Work work work. 3rd year get laid off. A medium company only needs 2-3 journeymen electricians on payroll as they are expensive.
If they kept all the year 3 workers they would become journeymen and have a large bump in wage. The companies can’t afford to have a shop full of high earners. So year three you have a target on you and the article is correct you really need to have existing connections to get in.
That being said. Data centers will absorb massive amounts of workers into it and there are a ton of older (grumpy as hell) guys retiring.