For many young people, a career in skilled trades can feel like a path they haven’t yet had the opportunity to explore. What does a day in the life of an electrician look like? What skills does it take to become a mechanic or carpenter? And how do you turn an interest in trades into a career?
Canada is facing a growing need for skilled tradespeople. By 2033, the country will need more than 1.4 million new trades workers, with more than 410,000 job openings expected in the construction sector alone.
For young people, meeting that demand starts with awareness. Before choosing a career in the skilled trades, students need opportunities to see what those careers look like, meet the people working in them and experience the skills firsthand.
That’s where JA Canada’s Skilled Trades Summits come in. Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, 23 Skilled Trades Summits connected 1,716 students with hands-on opportunities to explore careers in the skilled trades, delivered in partnership with Colleges and Institutes Canada.
Rather than simply learning about the trades, students had the opportunity to experience them.
From the classroom to the job site
At each summit, students heard directly from skilled trades professionals, including electricians, mechanics, carpenters and other industry leaders. Through panels and conversations, they learned about different career journeys, challenges and opportunities, including perspectives from women and BIPOC leaders working in the trades.
They also got to put skills into practice.
Interactive workshops helped students build transferable skills like communication, problem-solving, adaptability, creativity and collaboration. Live demonstrations and hands-on activities gave students the chance to explore the tools, technologies and techniques used across different trades, while networking opportunities connected them with industry professionals who could answer questions about apprenticeships, certifications, education and employment pathways.
For some students, these experiences sparked a new interest. For others, they helped turn an existing curiosity into a possible career path.
Taking the trades to more communities
The impact of the Skilled Trades Summits is also creating new opportunities to expand access. During September 2025, 90 youth in the Northwest Territories explored pathways to the trades in collaboration with Aurora College, bringing hands-on career exploration to students in the region.
Partners are helping make that growth possible. Enterprise Mobility and Imperial Oil joined as supporting sponsors, helping enhance Skilled Trades Summit activations, while new partners have joined them in a shared commitment to supporting Skilled Trades Summits in 2026 and beyond.
Building Canada’s skilled workforce of tomorrow
Canada needs a strong and diverse skilled trades workforce, but before young people can imagine themselves in these careers, they need opportunities to see what’s possible.
Skilled Trades Summits create that first connection.
And as the program continues to grow, so do the opportunities for more young people across Canada to discover where a career in the skilled trades could take them.
Learn more about the program and how you can get involved: Click Here
Source: Government of Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Discover careers in the skilled trades (2026).