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Huron Expositor, 2001-02-14, Page 7Scott Hitgendorff photo Snow removal Steve Hildebrand unloads barrel -fulls of snow from the roof of his Main Street business. He and Pete Martene were busy Wednesday getting several feet of snow off the buildings prior to heavy rain that fell Friday. News Skilled worker shortage in .Huron County called crisis by manufacturers By Dave Emsile Clinton News -Record Editor Huron County is not producing enough skilled tradespeople to meet the demand of manufacturers. This news was shared by Glenn McGregor, Business and Education Coordinator with the Manufacturing Strategic Initiatives (MSI), in a letter to Huron County newspapers. He wrote; "A crisis is looming in Huron County. No, this crisis is not in the health, nor the agriculture sector. Rather, this potential crisis bridges a number of sectors. I'm referring to the lack of skilled tradespeople available to employers. Provincial studies indicate that there is a serious shortage of skilled tradespeople, and an inadequate number of youth choosing a trade as a viable educational route and career." And while a provincial study has indicated this shortage province -wide, McGregor said a real problem is looming much closer to home. He explained that a main focus of those involved in the MSI is the fact there is a real lack of skilled and skilled trades workers in the county. "The main concern is, over the next few years, there are not going to be enough qualified employees." He explained that it has been estimated there are 800 skilled jobs, 390 of which are in trades, which will need to be filled by Huron manufacturers by the end of 2001. "They figure, out of the secondary school system, we will only produce 10 per cent of the employees (needed)," McGregor said, adding that thus, they will fall 90 per cent short in finding the employees they need locally. In his letter, McGregor noted that unless more tradespeople are trained in Huron County, "the lack of skilled workers and skilled tradespeople will cause the employee infrastructure to crumble in Huron's manufacturing industries. Thus, instead of growth, the inability to compete in the local and global markets will become commonplace." This problem exists, McGregor said, in part because skilled jobs are not seen in the same light as those that can be obtained from entering university or college. "Far too often these skilled jobs have been considered a choice for those who do not have the ability to be successful at college or university. Far too often these skilled jobs have been considered as not 'good enough' for my child. Far too often these skilled jobs have been considered as low paying jobs," he wrote. However, at least one of those misconceptions can be cleared up in a hurry. "Tradespeople in Huron County make $40,000 to $45,000 a year," McGregor said, adding that the wage for factory workers starts at around $30,000 annually. Noting that the emphasis has been placed on the fact that college or university are the only viable post -secondary routes for a student to take, McGregor suggested therefore that it is not difficult to understand why many young people are not interested in trades, and why parents do not encourage their children to pursue trades. He made note of the fact, though, that academic skills are needed in trades. "Most trades demand the ability to do college level entrance math, and in some trades, university entrance level math is recommended," he wrote. In an effort to break some of the false stereotypes associated with skilled trades, and help avert the coming workforce crisis, McGregor, a former teacher with the Avon Maitland District School Board, was hired to act as the business and education coordinator, and he works with both the school and manufacturing sectors. He is sharing information regarding skilled trades and the opportunity for apprenticeships with students in Grade 7-10, in both the public and Catholic systems. He also arranged for a group of students from St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton to travel to Wescast Industries in Wingham. "They toured through the casting and machining plant," he said, and also viewed a video on the company. "One of the initiatives of the manufactures is to encourage students to take on an apprenticeship in manufacturing," he said, before making note of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). Under this program, students can begin an apprenticeship in Grade 11. "The minimum requirements are successful completion of Grade 10 and the student must be 16 years of age," McGregor wrote. "A student can enter this program in one of the 130 trades by signing as an apprentice. He or she will obtain credits toward their secondary school diploma (OSSD), is credited for the time and/or competencies they acquire as apprentices, gets a head start on a career and are also employees of the business that sponsors them as apprentices. Summer jobs, after school and weekend jobs are therefore already secured. Apprenticeships are a vital mode of education that lead to success. This awareness will help alleviate the crisis." Manufacturers in Huron County, he said, support OYAP, as it was identified in a manufacturing strategic plan as a vehicle to improve the skills shortage. Apart from helping to spread the word on. the skills shortage in Huron County, McGregor is also taking the time to visit the county's many manufacturers. "I hope to get out and see all 174 of them before the end of the school year," he said. He admitted that there is still a long way to go in helping the public to understand that apprenticeship training should be considered the "third pillar" of education, McGregor concluded: "We need to come to grips with the fact that trades afford people a high standard of living, a challenging career that requires many skills and a high level of aptitude. Once these things are realized, then and only then can the direction of the potential crisis be altered." Snowmobile not stolen A snapped -off pull cord prevented a thief from making off with a snowmobile from a front lawn on Goderich Street in Seaforth on Feb. 11. Police were called to the house at 6:45 a.m. over the attempted theft and found the black 1995 Polaris XLT snowmobile dragged onto the street. Anyone with any related information is asked to call Huron . , OPP or ,Crimestoppers. ,Seaforth woman has licence suspended OPP reports A 25 -year-old Seaforth woman received a 12 -hour licence suspension after receiving a roadside test during a RIDE program on Goderich Street in Seaforth on Feb. 10. The 1987 Buick she was driving was stopped at 7 p.m. Hockey equipment stolen Hockey equipment valued over $ 1,000 was stolen from a 1982 Volkswagen that had been abandoned on the North Line of McKillop Ward during a storm the night of Feb. 9. The owner found a blue hockey bag missing that contained Easton ultra lite skates, Scro hockey pants, Heaton gloves, Victoriaville shoulder pads, Easton shin pads, CCM helmet with Tal visor and jerseys. Anyone with any related information is asked to call the - Huron OPP or Crimestoppers. moo/e s • TMt MINIOII 11XPOSITOil. 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