Trading Skills inspires kids to consider career as Electrician (and other skilled trades)
Categories: Canada
Who doesn’t get excited when they hold a new tool? Trading Skills host Brody Agmon is excited to use this side cutter.
October 9, 2024 – A new TVOkids live-action series gives kids a peek into the world of skilled trade jobs, sparking their interest in possible future careers in the trades.
“Trading Skills aims to open up the world of skilled trades to kids aged six to nine so they can learn about different jobs, appreciate their great benefits and be inspired to consider one of them as a career path for themselves,” says producer Francis Mitchell, Riverbank Pictures. “It’s a big trade skills world out there, and we wanted to open that door a little more for kids.”
In the construction sector alone, BuildForce Canada’s Bill Ferreira says Canada is going to need about 88,000 additional workers in the next decade just to keep pace. “When we factor in the retirement of 263,000 individuals during that period, the industry is going to need to hire about 350,000 individuals.”
“Recognizing the ongoing discussions about the skills gap in Ontario and beyond, we wanted to create a series that showcases the fantastic opportunities available in the skilled trades,” says Kirsten Hurd, commissioning editor, TVOkids. “We hope it inspires kids to explore careers they may not even know about!”
From their workshop, kid hosts Akeyah James and Brody Agmon introduce viewers to a new skilled trade in every episode. Through one-on-one interviews and hands-on activities, each episode highlights a trade from the kid hosts’ unique perspectives—perfect for young audiences.
In the ELECTRICIAN episode, co-host Agmon meets construction maintenance electrician Theo Davis, who is also a trainer with IBEW 105 in Hamilton, Ont.
Because the show focuses on providing hands-on experiences, Agmon goes through the process of wiring a switch (pulling wires, using side cutters, wire strippers, receptacle tester) to turn on a light bulb on a practise jig… all under the watchful tutelage of Davis.
From there, Agmon dons virtual reality training gear to perform wiring on a commercial building, then tests his wiring chops on a mock residential installation. (Not to mention that bit about the singing Tesla coil!)
“Maybe being an electrician will be a megawatt career for you,” says co-host James at the end of the episode.
Riverbank Pictures filmed the series at locations across Ontario, including areas in and around Toronto, Vaughan, Hamilton, Waterdown, Sudbury, Niagara, Caledon, Kitchener, and Collingwood.
Season 1 of Trading Skills comprises 13 episodes, each about 11 minutes in length. It will start streaming across Canada starting October 15 at 11 am ET on TVOkids digital platforms, including TVOkids.com, TVOkids YouTube, Smart TV services.
The series’ broadcast premiere occurs October 15 at 4:05 pm ET on TVO.