Tania-Joy Bartlett, a Master Electrician and former contracting business owner, is highlighting safety and respect as practical solutions to Canada's growing skills gap in the trades. Drawing from decades of experience, Bartlett contends that workplace culture, not just technical training, will determine whether the next generation enters and remains in skilled professions like construction, electrical work, and infrastructure maintenance.
Canada faces a severe shortage of tradespeople. According to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the industry will need over 225,000 additional workers by 2027 to meet demand. Bartlett observes that younger workers are more likely to leave roles where they feel unsafe, unheard, or disrespected. "People don't walk away from the work itself," she says. "They walk away from how they're treated while doing it."
In a recent interview, Bartlett explained that safety and respect are daily practices with direct impacts on productivity and retention. She recalls worksites where implementing simple changes, such as daily check-ins and clear communication, reduced mistakes and tension within days. "I've seen crews go from scattered to focused just because they finally felt comfortable speaking up," she notes. "When people feel respected, they stop hiding problems."
Research supports this perspective. The Health and Safety Executive reports that poor workplace culture contributes to higher accident rates, with construction accounting for one of the highest proportions of fatal injuries at work. Studies also indicate that respectful workplaces report hazards earlier, which reduces serious incidents. This connection between culture and safety is critical for dense urban worksites operating under constant pressure from tight schedules, diverse teams, and public scrutiny.
"When pressure goes up, that's when culture shows," Bartlett states. "You either protect people, or you push them until something breaks." She argues that improving worksite culture is one of the fastest ways to stabilize the workforce and attract younger talent, directly addressing the skills shortage.
Rather than advocating for sweeping policy changes, Bartlett encourages individual action. She suggests supervisors can model calm, clear communication; workers can speak up early about hazards; employers can remove toxic behavior immediately; mentors can guide rather than intimidate; and parents and educators can present the trades as skilled, respected careers. "You don't need a new rulebook," Bartlett emphasizes. "You need people willing to treat each other properly every day."
The implications of this focus are significant for industries, cities, and the economy. A failure to create respectful, safe environments could exacerbate the labor shortage, delay critical infrastructure projects, and increase workplace accidents. Conversely, prioritizing these cultural elements could enhance retention, improve safety records, and make skilled trades a more attractive career path for new entrants. For more information on industry training needs, visit https://www.citb.org.uk. Details on workplace health and safety statistics are available at https://www.hse.gov.uk.
