Skills for Trades

Neurodivergent Individuals Are the Solution to the Current Skilled Labour Shortage

Canada is facing a critical labour shortage in skilled trades, despite a record number of apprentices entering training. Tens of thousands of new skilled trade workers are needed in the coming years to sustain Canada’s infrastructure, manufacturing, and food systems. Without proactive measures, these labour shortages will lead to greater economic strain. Many capable individuals, especially neurodivergent workers and temporary foreign workers with literacy challenges, are falling through the cracks due to a lack of educational support and workplace accommodations.  

Skills for Trades addresses this gap by empowering underrepresented learners with practical, individualized support to help them succeed, meeting urgent labour demands in key industries, and building a robust, inclusive workforce. 

The Skills for Trades Program

Skills for Trades is a vocationally focused adult education program tailored to apprentices, tradespeople in training, and workers facing job insecurity or advancement challenges due to undiagnosed or unsupported learning differences.  

This program is offered in person in East Vancouver and online from anywhere in Canada with scheduling flexibility to reduce barriers and increase access.   

Skills for Trades equips individuals with a comprehensive and individualized learning profile based on prescriptive assessments, interventions, mentorship, and assistive technology tools to support them in pre-employment training and trades certification support.