Updated December 2024
Many people have a vague notion that skilled trades equals construction workers, but the reality is this field is much broader. The sector includes those who do everything from building houses and maintaining machinery to cutting hair and preparing food.
So what are skilled trades? They’re jobs that involve hands-on work and require specialized skills, usually gained through a trade school program, an apprenticeship, or both.
And there are plenty of such jobs available. According to a report from the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, Canada will need more than 120,000 new tradespeople between 2022 and 2026.
In this post, we describe some common careers in the skilled trades, explain which ones have the strongest demand, and provide everything you need to know about how to get started in one of these exciting career paths.