Chapter 5 Media Article

"A student asks: Why don't schools do more to promote trade skills?”, The Province March 14, 2007.

"Our high schools tell us to keep our options open. How can we do this if, slowly, they are limiting our options?" This opinion was voiced by Erin Tattrie, a current grade 12 student who points out the fact that high schools provide a contradiction with regards to our education. Currently, our curriculum is academic intensive and places much priority on subjects such as English and mathematics. Yet, trades courses such as carpentry and joinery are neglected. The schools that actually provide trades courses provide ones with low quality resources and safety conditions. Furthermore, people with a skilled trade are in high demand right now since there is such a low supply of this labour resource in our economy. But our schools still do not encourage the trades, and especially not towards women. And so, this high school student urges for more focus towards the trades in school because "trades were in the past, they're in the present, and they are the future."

Relationship to Ch. 5 - employment and unemployment, price increases

Keynes' theory on economic growth suggests that if you stimulate demand, production will follow. In a way, this theory applies to the situation described by the article. Since schools do not encourage or attempt to stimulate interest from students for jobs in the trades, there is a very limited amount of labour available from people with a skilled trade, yet the demand for tradespeople is very high. And this poses another problem as the majority of students are so focused on academics. The situation may foreshadow a sort of long term frictional unemployment in the future for a large population. As a vast population of students graduate from the academic field, seeking and expecting employment for similar jobs, many will be unsuccessful as there will definitely not be enough openings to accommodate every unemployed individual. On the other hand, if more people entered the labour force and have jobs, more will spend money, and if more workers enter labour unions, costs will go up. Both of these are examples which end up leading to a rise in prices in Canada, continuing the economic cycle of inflation and unemployment.

Personal Reflection

I understand the view point where the writer of the article is coming from because there really is very much importance placed on academics. And often the courses that one is required or encouraged to take will likely end up being of no use in the workplace. Honestly, I think a skilled trade is much more valuable to have because many academic-based jobs will be worthless if the economy crashes and the current structure of our society is destroyed. But personally, I do not have an interest in pursuing a skilled trade which may be because I have been brainwashed by the school systems that teach you otherwise.