Toronto, ON — More Canadians are leaning towards a career in the trades. The Future Careers and Education Paths Report highlights that 41 per cent of Canadians would choose a trade or vocational school over a university degree or professional program.
Findings from this report were based on research conducted by Embark between July 20 and 22, among a representative sample of 1,514 online adult Canadian’s.
The report adds that nine per cent of Canadian’s would choose an apprenticeship program. By combining both the trade/vocational and apprenticeship numbers, 50 per cent of Canadians are exploring the trades versus the 37 per cent that chose the university route.
British Columbia and Atlantic Canada were recorded as having the strongest support for the trades in the report. While Quebec/French Canada leaned more towards the university route.
When it comes to which age group is leaning most towards the trades, Gen X leads the way with 48 per cent of Canadians, followed by Boomers at 47 per cent, Millenials at 35 per cent, and Gen Z at 22 per cent.
In comparison, the Gen Z age group is the one leaning most towards a university education, with a combined total of 53 per cent choosing an undergraduate degree (23 per cent) or a graduate degree (30 per cent).
Additional findings from the report showed that only 20 per cent of Canadian’s think today’s kids are being prepared for 2050’s careers, despite 86 per cent expecting employers’ skill demands to change.
The report adds that while 82 per cent of Canadians worry about the cost of school, 83 per cent question the value of the investment.
Across the country, 92 per cent of residents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan worry most about the cost of post-secondary. Residents in Quebec worry the least, at 70 per cent.
Another concern Canadians have is AI, with 84 per cent worrying it will make degrees less valuable. However, the biggest concern is that 86 per cent aren’t confident graduates will have the skills employers need.