N.S. needs far more tradespeople. Diversity is key to meeting that demand, expert says

Thousands of carpenter and electrician jobs may be on the horizon in Nova Scotia as the province looks to reach net zero by 2050, but one expert warns there may not be enough skilled trade workers to fill those positions unless the industry "opens the door a little wider" to women and racialized groups.

A recent report by the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre said more than 16,500 homes need to be retrofitted each year to become energy efficient if Nova Scotia is to meet its climate goals. The demand could create more than 7,000 carpenter positions and more than 4,000 electrician positions in the next five years, according to the report.

Chris Benjamin, the centre's senior energy co-ordinator, said filling those new green jobs is "as much of an opportunity as it is a challenge."

"Where workers will come from is the big question," he said. "I think what we need to acknowledge is that we can't just replace older, retiring white men with young, up-and-coming white men. We need to broaden the market."

Antonia Bown, a Black mother and welder, said she became interested in the trades after enrolling in an "exploration program" at the Nova Scotia Community College.

It's called Women Unlimited, and it allows women to explore a range of trades and technology programs for free over 14 weeks.

The college's website said about 1,000 women "from under-represented backgrounds" have gone through the program, with the majority choosing to further their education or enter the workforce.

"It helped me broaden my horizons. It helped prep me for the job that I was going through," Bown said of the program. "I'd like to see more programs like that."

The Ecology Action Centre report said 35 per cent of current skilled trade workers in the province are over the age of 55, meaning many will be retiring in the next 10 years. It also said the replacement rate with recent graduates for carpenters in the province is only two per cent, and 5.8 per cent for electricians.

Bown said if the industry doesn't prioritize recruitment and retention, "the jobs don't get done."

Michelle Bussey, CEO of the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, said the province recognizes there is a labour gap within skilled trades. 

In 2023, the province announced $100 million over three years to improve retention and speed up recruitment and training, with part of that money being used to identify barriers and create incentives for equity-deserving groups, Bussey said.

"We're just trying wherever we can to make sure that we're opening the doors wide open," said Bussey. "We're really trying to make sure that we are listening very carefully to our community partners and being guided by them in terms of what we need to do."

The province and the Nova Scotia Community College jointly offer bursaries to students in trades programs, prioritizing racialized people, people with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, newcomers and women.

The college, faced with long waitlists, recently added more seats to its residential trades programs.

Bown said a shift in work culture would also help retain women in the field. She said women are often underestimated as skilled trade workers by their peers and feel like they need to "prove themselves."

"The immediate barrier is always the need to prove that you are strong enough, that you are capable enough to do the work," she said. 

Bown said she wants women to know that despite the challenges, working in the trades offers job stability for those looking to try something new.

Still, Benjamin said efforts to recruit more women and racialized groups won't happen overnight. All parties — industry stakeholders to governments and post-secondary institutions — must be involved.

"This is a way to invest in a really positive future for Nova Scotia — one that is sustainable and where Nova Scotians can work in really good jobs and feel proud of what they do and what they're building," he said.