PRINTEMPS/ÉTÉ 2026   COUVERTURES CANADA
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DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA MAIN-D’ŒUVRE
Roofing Canada spoke with some of 
CRCA provincial affiliates to examine 
recruitment challenges and solutions.
Challenging misconceptions
“As parents, many of us tend to 
push our kids towards the things we 
know and the skills we’ve learned. 
But within the culture of the school 
system, the university path is often 
emphasized over the many advantages 
of the trades,” says Jamie Slipp, general 
manager at the New Brunswick 
Roofing 
Contractors 
Association 
(NBRCA). “As recently as November, 
NBRCA was promoting conversations 
in New Brunswick schools related to 
the undeserved stigma of trades and 
roofing jobs, and how promoting 
these jobs remain pervasive with both 
parents and schools – many guidance 
councillors included. This led to 
further talks about how schools are 
more inclined to promote universities 
over trades centres and community 
colleges for young adults pursuing 
career paths.”
To break through the skepticism 
and 
concerns 
present 
in 
these 
conversations, NBRCA has focused 
on promoting general awareness of 
the roofing trade, the roofing trade as 
a Red Seal designation and attending 
local and regional events, such as Skills 
Canada Try-A-Trade. Other work has 
including video creation for TV and 
social media, as well as more detailed 
videos for school learning. In addition, 
the association is partnering with other 
organizations to support training and 
recruitment, such as: 
•	 The Centre of Excellence 
(COE) Skilled Trades and 
Manufacturing, Experiential 
Learning Activities and 
Educator (middle school and 
high school) activity packages; 
•	 Map Strategic Workforce 
Services (MAPSWS) and its 
various initiatives; and 
•	 Education and Early Childhood 
Development (EECD) Intro 
to Trades Grade 9 class, which 
includes low-slope roofing.
“The past few years have seen a 
renewed focus on improved advocacy, 
awareness programs and content 
Couvertures Canada s'est entretenue avec des affiliés provinciaux pour examiner 
les défis du recrutement.
Remettre en question les idées malentendus
« En tant que parents, beaucoup d’entre nous ont tendance à pousser nos enfants 
vers les choses que nous connaissons et les compétences que nous avons apprises. 
Mais dans la culture du système scolaire, le parcours universitaire est souvent mis 
en avant par rapport aux nombreux avantages des métiers spécialisés, déclare 
Jamie Slipp, directeur général de NBRCA. « Pourtant, le système scolaire valorise le 
parcours universitaire. Il dévalorise les métiers spécialisés. En novembre dernier, la 
NBRCA a tenu les conversations dans les écoles liées à la stigmatisation non méritée 
des métiers spécialisés et des emplois de couvreur, et comment la promotion de ces 
emplois reste omniprésente avec les parents et les écoles, de nombreux conseillers 
d'orientation inclus. Cela a conduit à d’autres discussions sur la façon dont les écoles 
sont plus enclines à promouvoir les universités plutôt que les centres de métiers 
specialisés et les collèges communautaires pour les jeunes adultes qui poursuivent 
des carrières. »

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