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© BOPINION = WE NEED MORE KIDS j INTERESTED IN SKILLED TRADES ABEDE JAWARA MACK Column Oakville Beaver | Thursday, Feb Parents want the best for their children, natural- ly, and helping kids make good educational choices is essential to helping them il their potential. Targeting the right ca- reer early on can helpastu- dent get a good start on the quest for a better life. academic pur- ‘ine, law lauded as pinnacles of aca- demic FUTURE OF WORKS: secondary education. its want to provide a solid academic founda- However, the dentally be limiting their kids' options simply be- cause they don't realize that tradespeople are essential, well-regarded, and in many of available ana were ‘the best opportunitie: Career at school is eseential “Tnvolv. id- Pursuing a path to the trades is often regarded as less prestigious and there- fore less desirable, which is both unfc ate and in- correct. It's also a problem when we don't have enough people to make, move, fix or operate the infrastruc- ture and equipment. Parents are a child's first career counsello lors. al ig the ‘ing a trade i is valuable: honoura. ble and potentially lucra- tive is the first step toward getting more young people to take up a skilled trade — an act that will also benefit society by filling jobs that are essential to everyone's well-being, whether they are in plumbing, electrical work, building, technology, transportation, the hospi- tality sector, or any num- ber of other lines of work. Legi: rs, icy-mak- ers, educators and trades- people themselves can help by educating parents about the opportunities and bene- fits of working in the skilled trades, so they can in turn guide their kids toward € making the best: choices ear- ing ance roles can help students realize the value of a career in the trades. Given the in- fluence of role models, shar- ing success stories can also steer students toward the trades. TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM This newspaper, published very Thursday, isa is so of pli, a brite ‘owned iene of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprise of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the pate NewsMedia Council. omplainants are urged to bring ther concerns to the attention of a r= = z es OF IN MAW 2H2. insidehalton@metroland.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeav @OakvilleBeaver WHO WE ARE a and Operations Dana Rol Regional Genera Manager Jason Pehor Director of ‘Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional UNDERSTANDING THE FUTURE OF WORK ‘itical to our quality of life. They literally keep things run- ning smoothly. What could be more noble? Yes, we need doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers and many others. We also need tradespeople. Somehow, though, we find ourselves facing a shortage of tradespeople across the board. Teaching parents about the benefits and con- sequences of choosing one subject over another can help them be better guides for their children. Expos- ing kids to successful role models is also key in at- tracting young people to the trades. We need to start with parents and increase our strategic efforts to get young people to embrace the idea of pursuing a ca- reer in the trades. Abede Jawara Mack is a member of the McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching and Leadership Program at McMaster University . Our rela- tionship with our readers is built on transparency, hon- esty and integrity. As ‘such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we how why we do waht we do. This article is part of that project ether you are at the start or end of your career, are soon-to-be entering the labour force or recently re- tired, you've likely noticed a signific; shift in the employment landscape. The working world has changed more quickly — since the pandemic started — than it has in a century. wr three years, our journalists have reported on employment opportuni- ties, successes and chal- lenges, including the plight of many businesses which have _ struggled to recruit é ly, we dig deep into the topic of employment, more specifically, the fu- ture of work. In this themed edition and online, you'll CATHERINE O'HARA Column ear from residents, busi- ont trades to information tech- nology, what are the jobs of the future? How can we pre- Liki for them? Will we con- ect virtually or commute tot them? Experts, as well as government, consider these questions — and o1 ers — to help us gaina bet- ter understanding. Facts and figures help paint a picture. With boomers retiring and fewer people entering the workforce to replace them, labour shortages will continue to bea reality for many employers across various sectors. According to Ontario’s Labour Minis- ter Monte McNaughton, the province is currently facing the largest Jabour shortage in a generatio. Whil the current state ers, there is agolden oppor- tunity in upski As the market changes, the needs of businesses evolve and the expecta- tions of employees shift, employers, employees, ed- ucation and government will all play a role in rede- fining work an: workers — for the better of a future workforce, work- places and the economy. Catherine O'Hara is deputy director of content for Metrolan We welcome. e your ques- tions and value your com- ments. Email our trust committee at trust@met- roland.com. Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor faen Miceli deed or Distributior Charlen Circulation | Manager Kim Mossman rectors of Advertising Cindi Campbell and Graeme Paul Gostlin CONTACT US Oakville Beaver 211 Pritchard Rd., Unit 4, Hamilton, ON, 18) 085 Phone: 905-845-3824 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Advertising: 289-293-0620 am ait delivery inquiries, please lossman@metroland.com or all 905-631-6095. Letters to the editor Send letters to insidehalton@metroland.com. All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at insidehalton.com Acerédité Accredited