So, if you believe some people we are now on our way out of the recession. The skilled trades job market seems to hum along as well as it ever has. A few recent news stories paint a picture of the present and future of skilled trades jobs.

The Guardian complains about government policy in the [...]

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This summer’s World Skills Competition in Calgary means that people all over the world are training and otherwise gearing up to compete for gold, silver and bronze.  Canada Skills is holding its national showdown May 20 – 23 in Charlottetown, PEI, approximately 100 days ahead of the ‘Olympics of skilled trades.’ For agenda, logistics and [...]

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The State of Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) Initiative got a $100,000 boost from The Grainger Foundation. The donation will support training and education for NWLB students pursuing careers in high-demand traditional trades like HVAC and plumbing as well as emerging trades in the green sector.
Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholme said, “Grainger’s commitment to [...]

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This past weekend, Canadian prime minister hopeful Steven Harper (Conservative) announed that graduates of apprenticeship programs will receive a $2000 bonus if he is elected.
Said Harper, “We need carpenters, mechanics, welders, chefs, pipefitters and other skilled workers to build the roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure that keep our economy growing and our country [...]

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Sure, we’ve talked about Oaksterdam University before (aka marijuana trade school) but we just came across their website – and their crest is just so worth posting here.
See http://www.oaksterdamuniversity.com/images/backto.jpg
…as is the photo for Tommy Chong’s endorsement
http://www.oaksterdamuniversity.com/images/tommy.jpg

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Less than a year from now, “the Olympics of skilled trades” will be underway in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at WorldSkills 2009. Over a thousand trade school students and graduates along with 5000 delegates from over 50 countries will descend on the world class city in the foothills of the Rockies. Events will range from culinary [...]

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ATHENA and the Women In Skilled Trades (WIST) program at the Halton Centre for Skills Development, in Toronto, Ontario support a new generation of women in skilled trades.
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A British survey of the data surrounding death rates from 2001-2005 concluded that men in construction trades along with plant and machine operatives had the greatest number of suicides.
The highest proportional mortality rates for men were found among health professionals (PMR=164) and agricultural workers (PMR=133).
For women, the greatest number of suicides [...]

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Meanwhile in Alaska, they are singing the praises of women’s contribution to the construction industry.
“In my view, women are natural multi-taskers [so] they are natural project managers. If they like to use tools, they can get in the trades. If not, there’s architects, interior designers – the field is wide open,” says Tamie Taylor, [...]

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http://industrialconstructionhr.blogspot.com/2008/05/construction-expo.html
Click here to learn more about construction schools .

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