Calgary high school students learn trades in workshop

More than a dozen young women tried to weld as sparks flew and the sound of hammers echoed through the vast space.

It's part of an effort by Alberta non-profit group CAREERS to introduce more girls to trades as they prepare for post-secondary education and careers.

Natalie McKean, CAREERS program coordinator, said: “It's really important for young people to start trying out and researching skilled trades to see if it's an option for them.”

The two-day workshop in Calgary brought together girls-identifying youth in grades 9-12 to test construction and welding.

“We're trying to reduce the skilled labor shortage that we have in Alberta,” McKean said.

Several industries could see a labor shortage of up to 3,000 workers by 2030, according to an occupation forecast prepared by the Alberta government. Construction trades and construction-related engineering trades are among the industries expected to experience labor shortages over the next decade.

“You really want to know what you want to do, and it's fun to try different things so you know what's out there,” said Megan Robson, 18, who attended the workshop over the weekend.

“You never know if there's something out there that you didn't want to do or something you didn't want to do … then you try it and you know,” he said.

Rebecca Fremstad, another Year 12 student who tried out welding in the CAREERS program on Saturday, said she was more drawn to the automotive sector, but said she wanted to know what other careers were out there.

“I've tried to keep the directions open because I know there's a lot of directions you can go in different trades,” Fremstad said.