What field would you encourage someone to pursue in Toronto? In Canada overall?

[Bud Plug]

The biggest growth industry in Ontario is elder care, and it's likely to continue to be for the rest of our lives.

Any career in relation to elder care (medical, legal, estate planning, services designed for the elderly (alternative transit, alternative shopping services)) is bound to be successful.

 

[Brotherman]

Construction related jobs.

Doctor, Nurse & Radiologist.

Real Estate agent.

 

[spaman]

Carpenters
Electricians
Plumbers
millwrights and boilermakers are job specific
Staionary engineers
Pipefitters
anything connected to the construction industry

this ^ most definitely

 

[TeasePlease]

Pharmacist

Accountant.

Radiologist or family doctor? I think very few students have what it takes to dedicate themselves to a high level of academic success for 8 years. That's assuming they can even get into medical school. This is not acheivable for 99.9% of people.

Trades are good because you can't outsource the work offshore. The same can't be said for accounting or radiology. Medicine is a tricky field. It's generally a very good profession. But, it's not all rosy. If you're in a specialty that requires hospital resources, you're at the mercy of local demand and funding. For example, it's a bitch getting orthopeadic privileges in the GTA now. Too many docs and not enough OR time available.

 

[punter]

Not everyone wants to be a trades person, even if they pay well, since there is not much status attached to them.

 

[Bud Plug]

Learning a construction trade may be a good choice, but perhaps not to work in Ontario.

The meat and potatoes of the construction industry are large infrastructure projects (which usually also encourage adjacent industrial development). Toronto/Ontario has not shown much interest in such projects in the last 20 years. We're more notorious for backing out of them (Toronto Island bridge, Oakville gas plant) or for putting them off indefinitely (Gardiner restoration/renovation).

The plus of learning a trade is that your skills are portable so you can follow the work.

 

[uklatecomer]

For those with the appropriate aptitude I would suggest technology-related security, e.g. network security, data protection, etc. Corporations will continue to pay well for these positions considering the damage that can be caused.

Given the cyclical nature of social attitudes I think tattoo removal will be big

 

[huckfinn]

Learning a construction trade may be a good choice, but perhaps not to work in Ontario.

The meat and potatoes of the construction industry are large infrastructure projects (which usually also encourage adjacent industrial development). Toronto/Ontario has not shown much interest in such projects in the last 20 years. We're more notorious for backing out of them (Toronto Island bridge, Oakville gas plant) or for putting them off indefinitely (Gardiner restoration/renovation).

The plus of learning a trade is that your skills are portable so you can follow the work.

I work in the construction industry but in a management position. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find good trades.

If I were to pick a career now, it would defiantly be a trade like electrical, plumbing, etc (a master electrician can easily take home a 6 figure pay check) where most of your work is indoors. If you get an apprenticeship, you can collect EI while you are in the school phases of your apprenticeship. I think at this point, too many people are entering university, and not finding work easily.

Regarding the meat and potatoes, there is a lot of work for trades in servicing residential clients and small businesses as well. I recall a statistic from London, Ontario stating there are enough plumbers only to spend one hour per year per home......not enough, hence they are expensive.

 

[basketcase]

What are the interests and abilities of the person in question? Are they strong in math & science? Do they have a strong mechanical aptitude? Are they artistic? How are their communication skills?

Sort of important isn't it?

I'd say find something you like and accept the fact that you might not be a millionaire.

And yes, if you have the inclination for trades it can be good (but it won't be good unless you are good).

 

[Samurai Joey]

Sort of important isn't it?

I'd say find something you like and accept the fact that you might not be a millionaire.

And yes, if you have the inclination for trades it can be good (but it won't be good unless you are good).

OK. Let's break it down then.

1. If a current student is strong in math and science, what field would you encourage that person to pursue based on demand in the GTA?

2. Same question as above for those who are artistic?

3. Same question as above for those with mechanical aptitude?

 

[highpark]

I'd also recommend s trade. Plumbing electrician and HVAC but yes they take a toll on body. Try and find a good bricklayer or better yet a guy who can do Ductwork ....Forget it! Those guys r worth their weight in gold.
Better yet try and line up a guy to cut your grass once a week or plough your snow. That's becoming quite an in demand business

 

[fuji]

This question cannot be answered without knowing something about the person and their interests and aptitudes.

Not likely that someone is choosing between doctor and truck driver, though both are service jobs that can't be outsourced and resist recession reasonably well.

 

[nottyboi]

Municipal politics, School teacher, medical field, Cop, Fireman pretty much anything on the govt teat is the golden road in Toronto these days.

 

[Occasionally]

Business. There's always business jobs.

No matter how much things are automated, things like sales people, marketing and strategy is still done with people. People analyzing, people negotiating, people coming up with ideas. There are never black and white answers no matter how good all the system tools are. That's where people come in to make decisions.

Another business route to go through is financial..... banking, insurance, mortgages, accounting, corporate finance type stuff.

The types of business jobs NOT to get into are all those admin and clerical jobs where automated systems can process things fast and accurately. There will always be some admin staff, but not like the old days where big companies would have floors of paper pushers.

Anything to do with logistics/transportation will always be in demand. Unless someone comes up with a way to do Star Trek teleportation, companies need trucking companies to do the deliveries. Companies are going leaner too, so they are preferring to outsource to transport carriers than having their own fleet of trucks.

Transport carriers are extremely fragmented. There's so many companies and independents, that it should be easy to crack into even if someone starts small doing day service deliveries in a van, as opposed to big 18 wheeler deliveries across the country. Not everyone uses Fedex or UPS for fast deliveries.

 

[Occasionally]

As for people recommending trade skills, is it really that in demand? I can see it for med/large projects, but for small stuff I see lots of people doing Youtube and fixing it themselves.

I am horrible at handyman stuff, but the last few repairs I did was Youtubing how to do it and going to Home Depot to buy the needed part. Done.

If I was in the same situation in the 90s or before and I didn't have a buddy know how to do it, I'd call a plumber or electrician.

For any trades people out there, has the internet age cut back on demand for servicing small stuff as people do it themselves? Or maybe not???

 

[Occasionally]

I have a feeling the next generation of kids won't even be able to change a light bulb or unplug a toilet. Trades are definitely the way to go.

For small stuff, Youtube is a person's best friend. Did a few repairs myself watching great videos. Amazing how much detail and good video quality some of these guys do. Even did a minor car repair job myself. I am terrible at handy stuff and if this was before the internet age, I would have had to call for repairs if I couldn't get a buddy to help me.

And all repairs I did are solid (knock on wood).

Going forward I am confident I can pull off minor repairs with the help of YT, but for bigger issues I'll still call for help.

 

[wazup]

why is the occupation Dr. being mentioned, that would exclude 99% of the population, like saying if he/she likes to fly, try being an astronaut.

 

[DELETDrileydaniels]

Its not really a job a its more of a business opportunity and leads to the path of being self employed I would suggest network marketing

 

[Samurai Joey]

This question cannot be answered without knowing something about the person and their interests and aptitudes.

Not likely that someone is choosing between doctor and truck driver, though both are service jobs that can't be outsourced and resist recession reasonably well.

No, but someone might be considering choosing between being a doctor and being a biochemist, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, biomedical engineering, etc. Likewise, someone might be thinking of choosing between a truck driver and being a limo driver, longshoreman, auto mechanic, etc.

The point with this thread is to ask the TERB members what jobs are in demand and thus worth considering to those who are just considering what to do for the future and not sure what to choose. And what job field will likely lead to a promising future in the GTA.

 

[Insidious Von]

Ontario has a huge shortage of tool and dye makers/designers, that's the field to get into.

I had two credits in dye design when the Harris education cuts bit. Humber College dropped the program, it was too challenging. Never mind that the quality of its graduates earned HC respect. Luckly when Guelph U took over the school they restored the program - unfortunately it's too late for me.