Skilled trades shortage denial and bias will only make it worse

Filed under Skilled Trades, Skilled Trades Shortage

This is the first of a three part look at the skilled trades shortage. In this section, let’s talk about denial and bias.

We’ve been reporting on the current and impending skilled trades shortage for several months now. There are many people who deny that there really is any cause for concern.¹

Here are some facts:

· The average age of the skilled trades work force increased every year from 1998 through 2005. ²

· More than 80% of companies surveyed by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) responded to a 2005 survey saying that “they could not find qualified workers to fill their job openings right now.” In addition, 90% said they “could not find enough skilled production workers.” ³

· As much as 30% or more of skilled trades people, technicians, and technologists will be retiring over the next decade. ⁴

· 12^th graders in the US fall near the bottom in mathematics and science when compared to peers overseas.⁵

· Half of employers surveyed by NAM in 2005 indicated current employees had “inadequate basic employability skills such as attendance, timeliness and work ethic.” ⁶

· In the same survey, 46% of employers reported “inadequate problem solving skills”⁷

· And again in the same survey, “36% indicated insufficient reading, writing and communication skills.” ⁸

Denial and bias can be said to be the greatest factors contributing to the growing problem, in fact.

Bias against trades comes in at least three forms. First, the prevailing precedent in North America is that the trades have been filled by immigrants. As such there is an entrenched attitude that these jobs are suited to people with a lower literacy rate or “not smart enough” for professional work. Or skilled trades are suited for “those who lack the academic aptitude to pursue the normal course from secondary school through to postsecondary school.” ⁹

This attitude is perpetuated by parents, teachers, guidance counsellors and just about everybody. In fact, it’s even perpetuated by many in the skilled trades, those same immigrants who work every day and who hope their kids can “have a better life.”

This is not the attitude you will find in countries like Germany where there is no stream of immigrants to fill jobs that are undervalued.

A second aspect to the bias is the common perception that “jobs in computers” are easier and pay better. On the other hand, jobs in skilled trades are dirtier, outside work that does not pay well.

This perception ignores the job instability of many in the internet or software industries for example or the fact that automation of many skilled trades tasks makes these jobs much easier and cleaner. Nor are these jobs “dead end” as many perceive. In fact, many people in electrical, construction and plumbing trades are their own bosses, set their own hours and essentially decide their own fates – hardly a dead end.

This brings us to our last point, the perception that trades have a future less certain than other career paths. The fact is that jobs “in computers” are probably far more prone to obsolescence. In that industry there is just as great a need to continually upgrade skills and knowledge and move with changes in technology and culture. And while programs can be written anywhere in the world for the lowest price, it will never be cheaper to get your pipes fixed by someone on the other side of the globe.

¹ These might be same people who said the war in Iraq was “mission accomplished” in 2003, there was no cause for concern in the sub-prime-fueled real estate boom and there is no such thing as global warming. Excuse us for being political. But this is political.

²APMA HR Network Newsletter. Auto Parts Manufacturers’ Association Human Resource Network. 2001. Findings of this Canadian study apply to US manufacturing.

³Manufacturing: Engine of US Innovation. The Facts about Modern Manufacturing. National Association of Manufacturing (NAM). 2005. Online: http://www.nam.org/s_nam/sec.asp?CID=202612&DID=237683

⁴ APMA

⁵ NAM

⁶20005 Skills Gap Report. Deloitte Development. Spring 2005. www.nam.org/2005skillsgap

⁷ Deloitte

⁸ Deloitte

⁹ Solving the Skilled Trades Shortage. The Conference Board of Canada. 2002. www.conferenceboard.ca/education/reports/pdfs/Skilled_trades.pdf