Electricians among Canada’s most in-demand skilled trades, Sault contractor says

Electricians are among the top five in-demand skilled tradespeople in Canada.

“They are absolutely needed,” said Ben Cicchelli, DT Electrical Contractors co-owner and general manager.

DT Electrical works on everything from small residential jobs to large commercial projects.

Though a 400-megawatt AI data centre proposed by Algoma Steel and Red Jar Energy Partners is being assessed by the Independent Electricity System Operator, Cicchelli says electricians are needed as many of those large projects are planned across Canada.

“I think the direction of where technology’s taking us with AI, the demand for data centres and the power they need to operate will keep electricians in demand,” Cicchelli told SooToday.

He said his company would definitely be interested in being a part of data centre projects as they come into being.

“That would grow our skill set. That’s one of the joys of being an electrician. There’s a wide range of skill sets that you can obtain. I think that’s what makes this job the best,” Cicchelli said.

Cicchelli co-owns DT Electrical Contractors with Steve Toppan, established by Toppan’s father David as David Electric in 1974.

Working on many residential projects over the years, DT Electrical recently wired the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 and Trinity Towers apartment complexes on Great Northern Road.

“There’s aging infrastructure out there that needs attention too,” Cicchelli said, meaning electricians at DT Electrical and other local electrical firms will be kept busy.

Electrician training, which includes hands-on work and classroom hours, takes five to six years from day one to Red Seal certification.

“You get to see a lot of different things,” said DT Electrical’s Josh Lehtinen, who has been a fully-trained electrician for the last three years.

“You go into people’s homes, you work on a project from beginning to end and get to see the finished product.

“And you’re not always going to one building to work every day. You’re not sitting in the same office for years on end. You get to see a lot of different things around town,” Lehtinen said.

Like other skilled tradespeople, electricians make good money.

“They start at $20 or $21 an hour and there are increases as you get experience. The average electrician would make about $50 an hour. A lot of our people have worked with us for a long time,” Toppan said.

“I’ve been licensed since 2018,” Cicchelli said.

“I’ve been involved from the business management side since then as well. I enjoy it.

“It can become stressful at times. I work from the business side of things as well as getting my hands on the tools when it’s needed. We make it work and I think that’s what makes us come back every day for those new challenges and new people you meet,” he said.

DT Electrical Contractors employs 24 electrical workers.

About half that number are licensed electricians, Cicchelli said, but that amount might go up in the future.

“I’m always looking for talent. I’m always looking for ambitious men and women hoping to get into the trades. Work in this field is always cyclical but we do our best to try to provide a steady stream of work in order to keep apprentices on and train them.”