The skilled trades1 sector in Canada is grappling with a significant workforce gap that domestic students aren’t filling. To tackle this, Canada has been focusing on removing application barriers and expanding immigration pathways to attract more skilled trades workers. As Canada’s need for skilled trades workers grows, international students can play an integral role in shaping Canada’s future while securing their own.
In today’s ApplyInsights, we’ll look at the strong need for skilled tradespeople and which institutions are leading in solving Canada’s growing job shortages.
Key Insights at a Glance
- Skilled trades workers are in high demand in Canada, with over 700,000 workers expected to retire from 2019 to 2028.
- International student interest in the trades is low. In 2022, study permit2 applications increased by 32% for business, STEM, and the arts post-secondary programs. In comparison, applications for trades programs dropped by 2%.3
- At 42%, study permit approval rates for trades programs lag behind the average approval rate of 53% across all college programs.
While the demand for skilled trades workers in Canada is unquestionably increasing, it’s crucial to recognize that the growth in international student numbers is emerging from a modest starting point with low interest. Also, study permit approval rates for these programs remain lower than those for business, STEM, and arts programs. This raises the question: is the Canadian government serious about mobilizing international students to fill the pressing labour shortages in the trade sector?
Growing Labour Shortages in Skilled Trades
Skilled tradespeople have played a crucial role in critical sectors post-pandemic, and their expertise continues to be in high demand due to the expected retirement of over 700,000 skilled trades workers from 2019 to 2028. As a result, there’s an increasing need to recruit and train many new skilled trades workers.
Canada has an aging population and low birth rate, so it’s working harder to use immigration for workforce and economic growth. The government’s commitment to construct 5.8 million new homes by 2030 aligns with the needs of a growing population. Ontario alone requires over 256,000 new apprentices by 2028 to meet the growing demand. To address this gap, international student graduates could be a potential solution.
International students interested in starting their study abroad journey and securing a stable career and immigration pathway should look into these in-demand job opportunities, many of which offer prosperous salaries and job security.
More International Students are Choosing Trades Programs
The demand for skilled tradespeople is high and expected to grow. However, the peak of interest in these programs still needs to be met despite recent developments in skilled trades education, especially in Ontario.
Despite the Canadian government’s efforts to expand skilled trades education to be more accessible for international students who want to study in Canada, interest remains low. Let’s look at the shifts in study permit applications for international students looking to enroll in trade programs in Canada:
Last year, over 9,400 international students applied to trade programs at a Canadian institution, with early 2023 data indicating that applications are on track to surpass 2022 numbers. Yet, student interest in trade programs has dropped in the past year. In 2022, applications for all fields of study increased by 32% in business, STEM, and the arts, whereas trades applications declined by 2%.
Although application volume dropped from 2021 to 2022, approval rates increased by three percentage points to 42%. In comparison, college approval rates decreased by two percentage points, falling from 55% to 53% over the same period.
One of the most common reasons for student visa refusal is that IRCC was not satisfied the applicant would leave Canada at the end of their stay based on the purpose of their visit. This refusal reason is likely contributing to lower-than-average approval rates in trade programs.
It’s important to note that while skilled trades are growing, they still need to catch up to the national average approval rate of 55% across all study levels. Business study levels had an average approval rate of 49%. Overall, the Canadian government still has work to narrow this gap and improve approval rates for international students pursuing skilled trade education to narrow further the skills gap in Canada’s labour market.
Let’s look at how new study permits in trade programs shifted from 2020 to 2022:
In 2022, new study permits for trade programs in Canada increased by 7%, with over 4,100 new permits issued. This comes after a strong year in 2021, with almost 3,900 new permits issued, marking an increase of 164% post-pandemic.
While the interest and engagement from international students are growing slowly, it’s important to note that we are starting from a relatively low baseline, contributing to the gradual pace of growth.
Institutions Leading the Charge in Trades
Institutions are gearing up to attract more students to trade programs in Canada. In 2022, the top ten institutions accounted for nearly 27% of all new international students looking to study a skilled trade in Canada.
With more students choosing Canada for their skilled trades education, let’s look at the top institutions for incoming international students:
Conestoga College remained the top learning institution for international students in 2022. This year, Conestoga announced that the institution is opening a new full-service programming campus in Guelph, focusing on delivering education and training for the automotive power trades, business programs, academic upgrading, and career-focused programs. With nearly 200 study permits issued last year, Contestoga is attracting more students interested in pursuing skilled trades programs in Canada.
However, Vancouver Community College (VCC) was the fastest-growing institution for trade programs in 2022. Last year, VCC issued almost 150 study permits to students looking to pursue skilled trades programs, positioning it as the second most favoured school among international students in the trades. This 159% growth from 2021 helped drive the growth to central British Columbia last year, with the vast majority of this growth coming from a spike in international students from Hong Kong.
It’s worth noting that Sheridan College and Georgian College both offer skilled trades programs that address labour shortages in various campus cities across Ontario. In 2023, Sheridan College partnered with the Canadian College of Technology and Trades (CCTT), offering programs designed to meet Ontario’s labour market needs and providing in-demand training that offers international graduates a pathway to the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program.
Looking Forward
As the nation grapples with the surging demand for skilled trades workers, it’s essential to acknowledge that while international students’ numbers are rising, the growth might only partially fill the gap. Despite these challenges, international students still hold the potential to make meaningful contributions to the industry and shape their prosperous futures.
Amidst this evolving economic landscape, one fact remains clear: Canada urgently requires skilled trade workers, and international students have a role to play in meeting this requirement.
Recruitment partners and institutions in Canada have the potential to engage in attracting students toward these in-demand jobs. By informing students about potential career opportunities and post-graduation pathways for permanent residency in these sectors, partners and institutions can increase interest among international students.
Canadian institutions looking to help bridge the gap between skilled trades labour shortages and attract more students to skilled trades programs can:
- Highlight work-integrated learning programs, apprenticeships, and co-op opportunities that provide hands-on experience and industry exposure.
- Encourage students looking to study in Ontario to take advantage of the STEM Program, which has recently expanded to include skilled trades learning opportunities.
- Increase awareness around the various skilled trade career paths, including construction, transportation, manufacturing and industrial, services, and information and digital technology.
- Continue to establish connections with industry partners and employers to aid international students in securing job placements after completing their programs.
- Emphasize immigration pathways like Canada’s recently expanded skilled worker immigration pathway, Express Entry, which includes the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Canadian Experience Class for international students in skilled trades.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. The term skilled trades refers to an occupation in the following categories: industrial, electrical and construction trades.
2. All data courtesy of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
3. The terms student visa and study permit are generally used interchangeably for Canadian international students. Rather than student visas, Canada provides accepted international students with study permits, which allow those students to enroll in classes at Canadian institutions. When a student is accepted for a study permit, they are also usually provided with a visitor visa, allowing them to enter Canada for their studies.
