When Dave Janecke first started his career in the trades, the group he worked with was significantly older than he was. “I was 20 years younger than the next youngest person,” Dave notes.

Now the President and co-owner of Pad-Car Mechanical Ltd., Dave has noticed a shift in the landscape.

“Slowly, where the trades are now, it’s a lot of younger people,” he shares. “There’s tons of opportunity to not only get your ticket but, if you put effort into it, you can also become a project manager or an estimator.”

This shift isn’t just attractive for young people looking to enter the industry. It’s vital to ensure that there are enough tradespeople to take up the next generation of work.

The Need for a Strong Next Generation of Tradespeople

With more of the workforce nearing or entering retirement, there is a need to ensure young people are stepping up to fill their place.

“Right now, if you look at it as a whole, there’s definitely a lack of tradespeople at all levels,” Dave notes.

This lack of personpower raises very real concerns about how the trades workforce will be able to meet the demands for various services. The trades touch all aspects of everyday life from mechanical work, to construction, to plumbing and beyond.

Equipping young tradespeoples with skills that make them assets to their teams is important to Dave. A big part of that includes cross-training his team.

“At Pad-Car here, we have 3 certified trades: sheet metal, plumbing, and refrigeration,” he notes. “So, the more they cross-train, the more they are willing to jump over there and help and learn and whatnot. It makes them more versatile and, in the long run, it’s more beneficial to both the employee and employer.”

By having more skills in their pocket, young tradespeople are more easily able to adapt to the ups and downs of the industry. “So if you’re slow in construction,” Dave adds, “There’s always work in the service and maintenance part of things.

The Benefits of a Trades Career

The benefits of a trades career are extensive and impressive. Here are some of the key ones to consider:

1. Early Entry into the Workforce: Trade careers offer a fast track into the working world. By focusing on practical skills over extended academic study, individuals can begin earning and establishing their careers much sooner, providing a head start in experience and financial independence compared to peers in longer academic programs.
2. Opportunities for Advancement: The trades not only offer a stable foundation but also a ladder to climb either within the field for decades or beyond once you’re ready for a new challenge. With experience, additional training, and certifications, individuals can progress to supervisory or specialized roles, broadening their expertise and increasing their earning potential, all while building a respected professional reputation.
3. Variety: The trades encompass a diverse spectrum of professions. This variety allows individuals to explore and find their niche, aligning their career with personal interests and unique skill sets. Each field offers distinct challenges and rewards, ensuring a dynamic and fulfilling career path.

4. High Demand for Skills: In an ever-evolving economy,skilled tradespeople remain in high demand. This constant need for specialized skills ensures job security and availability, making trade careers a reliable choice. The demand also often translates into competitive salaries and the potential for continuous professional growth.
5. Practical and Hands-On Work: Trade jobs offer a tangible sense of accomplishment. Unlike desk-bound careers, trades involve active, hands-on work, resulting in visible, impactful outcomes. This physical and practical aspect of the work appeals to those who enjoy engaging directly with materials and tools, creating and fixing in real-world scenarios. Dave notes “The most rewarding part is that I like to be able to physically see what I accomplished.”

Launching a career in the trades isn’t just an asset to the people who need the services they provide. Dave adds “It can open other doors as well as provide you a good lifestyle.” It’s a rewarding and dynamic career path that will set you up for a lifetime of success.

Fighting Negative Perceptions of Trades Careers

Despite the clear value of the trades, Dave has encountered the occasional person who thinks less of this career choice. “A career in trades was not always promoted as being a great choice,” he recalls before adding, “I think that’s kind of gone by the wayside.”

Shifting perspectives play a key role in ensuring the continuation of trade work. For young people considering the trades, the opinions of others may bear a substantial weight. For Dave, he hopes young people will be able to maintain their focus and tune out the negativity.

“Being a tradesperson is something to be proud of,” he notes. “I can take my kids or my grandkids to the mall or the hockey rink and say ‘Your grandpa put that up there.’ You can be proud of that.”

Charting a Path in the Trades: Growth and Opportunities Ahead

For young people considering a career in the trades, the skills Dave notes as an important baseline are “problem-solving, mechanical aptitude, wanting to learn something new, good work ethic, and the ability to understand and use technology.”

As for his advice for those considering this career path, Dave shares “Put all you have into learning and retaining everything you can from both school and your journeyperson. Apply yourself and know that the more you put in the more you get out.”

And when it comes to the future of the trades, there’s a lot to be excited about. “There’s really no lid to it if you want to keep growing.”

Pad-Car’s Commitment to Trade Education

At Pad-Car, we believe that investing in the education of future tradespeople is worth it. Not only are we passing on knowledge about the craft we’ve spent years perfecting, we are also supporting a young person in the early days of their dream.

For years, we’ve been involved with RAP, a program that provides high school students with the opportunity to make strides toward achieving their journeyman certificate before graduation.

Dave notes that “we work with the local schools to bring in these young people, work with them at a younger age, and have them partway started in their career path for when they graduate.”

Now is a great time to start your trade career. It not only opens doors to immediate employment and financial independence but also paves the way for lifelong learning and personal growth. In the trades, every day brings a new challenge and opportunity, making it a rewarding path that continually evolves with your skills and passions.