[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-595134-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-595134-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","a-skills-shortage-a-building-challenge","A Skills Shortage - A “Building” Challenge","","The skilled trades have long been undervalued, and the article examines how maintaining the status quo intensifies future labor challenges. It argues that educational institutions and leaders must expand skilled trades participation in discussions about graduation requirements in Manitoba, while also strengthening numeracy, literacy, and information technology across grades. It highlights a growing shortage of qualified tradespeople and proposes responses to barriers faced by high school students, including stigma, an inadequate credit system, slow responses to gaps, and limited work-based learning opportunities.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-skills-shortage-a-building-challenge/595134/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-skills-shortage-a-building-challenge/595134.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Bulrr","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-08","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",10,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What problem does the article focus on?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It focuses on the skilled trades shortage and the long-term impacts of ignoring and undervaluing skilled trades in society.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Why are high school students highlighted as part of the solution?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"They can provide a practical workforce pipeline, but the article notes students face obstacles and may be reluctant to consider trades careers even when jobs are available.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What barriers keep students from choosing skilled trades?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The article cites stigma, a flawed credit system that does not recognize skilled trades equally, slow responses to skill shortages, and insufficient work-based learning opportunities.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},595134,1792193151,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,120,123,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":125},"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":112,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":97,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},5909892115043,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","REFEREED ARTICLE  \nA Skills Shortage: A “Building” Challenge  \nStephen Proskurnik  \nAbstract  \nThe skilled trades have long been ignored and under-valued in society. This article explores the potential problem with maintaining the status quo and the impacts it will have on future generations. It considers the steps educational institutions and leaders can make in addressing the skilled trades shortage and how changes to the current graduation requirements in Manitoba can lead to greater career pathways for all students. The goal is to include skilled trades training in the conversation along with improving numeracy, literacy, and information technology across all grade levels.  \nFor the past several decades, a shortage of qualified skilled trades people has begun toemerge. As this problem continues to build, creative solutions will need to be explored to address this shortage. High school students, a demographic that may have been previously overlooked, could offer a practical solution to this burgeoning dilemma. However, students face several obstacles, and are somewhat reluctant to consider a career in the skilled trades even when jobs are plentiful. These obstacles must be addressed to convince young people that a career in the trades is worth exploring. They include overcoming the stigma that is attached to the skilled trades, a flawed credit system that does not recognize skilled trades equally, a slow response time to skill shortages, and a lack of work-based learning opportunities available to students. Practical solutions to overcome these obstacles include better training and awareness to address the stigma attached to working in the trades, changing how high school credits are earned, improving response time to skill shortage gaps, and creating partnerships with industry partners to increase work-based learning opportunities.  \nTraining and Awareness  \nThe stigma that is associated with working in an area of the skilled trades is deeply entrenched in society. Often, those who are interested in the skilled trades are viewed as inferior students. This stigma goes beyond a superficial level, and even extends into higher education, where some academia either ignore or are unaware of the possible career pathways in the skilled trades (Rothwell, 2016) . There are several misconceptions that must be addressed to conquer the stigma for students to feel like the skilled trades are a career worth exploring further. Perhaps the biggest misconception is that individuals who pursue skilled trade careers are unsuccessful students compared with their fellow students who plan on attending university (Suttles, 2020) . Other misinformation includes the misbelief that all skilled trades work is dirty, only males can perform the work, and wages are significantly lower than careers that require a university degree. These beliefs even extend overseas. For example, in Britain there exists a lack of political inclination to view skills training equally with a university education (The Guardian, 2020) . These are all fundamentally wrong assumptions that are often passed down from generation to generation, and require a more concentrated awareness campaign to counter.  \nThe school system, specifically educators and administrators, began this process of weakening the skilled trades training in favor of students attending university (Walsh, 2017) . Schools often use a simplistic strategy to deliver the necessary information on skilled trades. One such strategy is using a signup sheet for students to self-register to hear about the trades, rather than requiring all students to get the information to make an informed decision. This is a  \nflawed process because many students have no prior knowledge of skilled trades, and may not know what they are missing until it is too late. All students need to hear about these opportunities at a younger age, when many are contemplating career aspirations. Students are also ill informed of possible career opti","cbCaipuTkP2svMb5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipuTkP2svMb5","pdf",164169,"English","# Abstract\n## Training and Awareness\n## Changing Credit Requirements","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the article focus on?\",\"answer\":\"It focuses on the skilled trades shortage and the long-term impacts of ignoring and undervaluing skilled trades in society.\"},{\"question\":\"Why are high school students highlighted as part of the solution?\",\"answer\":\"They can provide a practical workforce pipeline, but the article notes students face obstacles and may be reluctant to consider trades careers even when jobs are available.\"},{\"question\":\"What barriers keep students from choosing skilled trades?\",\"answer\":\"The article cites stigma, a flawed credit system that does not recognize skilled trades equally, slow responses to skill shortages, and insufficient work-based learning opportunities.\"}]","A Skills Shortage - A “Building” Challenge | PDF",1792080506,13]