At 24, Shayne Claringbold is one of the youngest students in his apprenticeship class at George Brown College. But like his classmates, he ended up apprenticing to build up his credentials and improve his career prospects.

Claringbold became a sheet metal worker apprentice at D&S Sheet Metal Products in Barrie after spending four years as a machine operator in a food processing plant. “It was kind of by accident. My friend’s father owned the company. He asked if I ever thought about apprenticeships. I went in, tried it for a week and liked it.”

He is now in the fourth year of his five-year apprenticeship, which includes contracted hours of work and class time before he becomes a journeyman. He has already displayed exceptional talent, winning a gold medal in his category at this year’s Skills Canada competition.

Despite the fact that an apprenticeship meant a huge pay cut at first he says, “I knew that over the years I would make more money.”

Rolf Priesnitz, director of apprenticeship and skilled trades at George Brown College’s Casa Loma campus in Toronto, observes that unlike the old days, it’s not just people fresh out of high school that are taking apprenticeship programs. Now it’s a mix of business professionals making a career change, older skilled workers who need to update their credentials, or graduate students looking for practical skills.

“I’d say the median age for people in our programs is 26 or 27. We had a woman with a master’s degree going through a plumbing apprenticeship. Another student was a manager for Health Canada and decided to become an electrician.”

For many of these people, skilled trades have a lot to offer. For one, employment demand is generally high. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) in Ottawa says that with the upcoming wave of baby boomer retirements, skilled journeypersons will be needed in the construction, automotive, service and repair and tourism sector, among others. For the most part, it’s also easy to transfer your skills between provinces

Getting into an apprenticeship does take some effort however, says Bob Emptage, dean of engineering technology at Georgian College in Barrie.

“There’s a general misconception that apprenticeships are easily obtained and designed to easily get one to a high rate of pay. That’s not the case. An apprenticeship position at a company could get thousands of applicants.”

Businesses are increasingly looking at candidates that have already completed post-secondary education or have related experience, he adds. “It’s not unusual to see apprentices with a diploma or degree in a related field such as science or engineering.”

People can get a leg up by taking a pre-apprenticeship program and apply those credits to their apprenticeship requirements. “In our one- and two-year technician programs, students can complete Level 1 of the in-school component of an apprentice-able trade,” Emptage explains.

There are still employers who like to have “fresh, young minds on board” and are willing to hire apprentices right out of high school, he adds.

Jeff Hilson, an electrician based in Waterdown, Ont., was lucky enough to secure an apprenticeship with Waterdown Electric right out of high school. He did his schooling portion at Mohawk College. Now at the age of only 22, he is a fully licensed electrician.

“I was thinking of a career in either accounting or construction,” he explains. “I ended up taking a high school coop at the company, and decided I didn’t want a desk job. I’d rather be on my feet working with my hands all day.”

One bonus of an apprenticeship, he says, is that you don’t need to get into debt while you’re learning. “Some people owe $40,000 when they get out of college or university. With an apprenticeship, you do make a wage — even if it’s minimum at first.”

What he loves most about a skilled trade is the opportunity to create something out of nothing. “You begin with a drawing and look at a hole in the ground. By the end of it, you turn on the lights and everything looks beautiful.”

Claringbold is excited about the possibilities of his line of work. “It’s the only job left that you can actually create something from a flat piece of metal. You have to sit down and figure out the math and the art of changing raw material to something useful. That’s why I like it.”

For those wishing to transition their career into a skilled trade, CAF suggests some of the following resources:

• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) Labour Market Information website (http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/labour—market—information/index.shtml)

• Local apprenticeship offices

• Services such as the Apprenticeship-Workplace Essential Skills Training Centre (a-WEST), a new drop-in centre at Winnipeg’s Technical Vocational High School