VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Should schools make trades more of a priority? Canada’s Jobs Minister thinks so.

Minister of Employment Jason Kenney says we’re seeing a paradox of high amounts of unemployed people and open positions because there’s an inequality in post-secondary education, and he wants schools to step up to help solve the problem.

“Provinces and educators need to do a much better job of preparing people with the kind of training that’s relevant to the job market of the future. Just because you go and get a Master’s in International Relations, doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to work in that particular field,” Kenney adds.

You might have a dream, but Kenney says that’s not necessarily realistic: “We want all Canadians to have good jobs, but not everyone gets to choose the job they’re going to get. We have to ensure they have the training that’s relevant to the labour market of the future.”

The Federal Government set aside money in this year’s budget for a program to provide information on job outcomes for young Canadians, and Kenney explains “if they go into this system, they’ll be able in the future to find out they can make three times more as a welder, than someone with a B.A. in Political Science for example.”

He says they’re also seeing government-subsidized programs like teachers’ colleges pumping out more graduates than there are positions.

For those who aren’t suited to the trades, Kenney claims other employment sectors are facing shortages as well, but didn’t expand on what other industries or jobs are suffering from lack of workers.