Unlocking Opportunities: Industrial Careers in Ontario

Find your industrial trade and help build the future of Canada’s economy

Manufacturing has always played a central role in the development of Canada’s economy. This varied sector includes occupations associated with running and maintaining the plants and factories that produce Canadian goods – like the cough lozenges made in Scarborough, the baseball bats produced just outside Ottawa, or the chewy candy made in Hamilton.¹

Ontario’s colleges offer many programs designed to help you start an industrial career. The diplomas, certificates, and degrees offered by colleges can help you land an entry-level position in a major manufacturing facility or elevate your career through the development of innovative new skills. Additionally, college programs are also updated regularly to accommodate the many innovations – such as mechatronics, the intersection of robotics and machinery – visible in Canada’s industrial landscape.

The industrial sector also faces a considerable worker shortage, meaning there are many employers actively on the lookout for machinists, millwrights, robotics engineers, and tool and die makers right now.

Facts to consider

• Manufacturing accounts for roughly two-thirds of Canada’s export sales, represents more than one-tenth of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), and employs 1.7 million Canadians.²
• A Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) survey of 563 companies across 19 sectors in 2020 showed that 80% of manufacturing companies are facing an immediate labour shortage.
• This shortage reported by the CME – which includes more than 2,500 Canadian companies – has doubled from 40% reported in 2016.³
• A 2018 study found that Canada will need over 5,000 employees in bio-health manufacturing and production, an emerging area of the industrial sector.⁴

Image Source: Fanshawe College

How an Ontario college can help you start an industrial career

Even though Canada’s industrial sector already accounts for a huge percentage of the country’s GDP, there’s still great need for qualified tradespeople in this dynamic and diverse sector. You can achieve those qualifications through one of many college programs.