It’s unfortunate that there have been dire warnings about the impending shortage of skilled trades people in Canada and there’s no sign of this turning around. No amount of statistics or government finger wagging is going to change things. The real reason you have such a hard time finding competent tradespeople is cultural, and something called National Tradesmen Day is the first promising step towards a solution that I’ve seen. It gets to the heart of the reason why so few bright young people begin careers in the trades, and why fewer still stick with them. Read my editorial “Time to Make the Trades and Tradesmen Cool” to learn more.