Ontario’s universities are playing a critical role in strengthening the province’s skilled trades pipeline – not only by preparing graduates for in-demand careers, but by helping to inspire the next generation of students to pursue them. Derek Thwaites’ journey is a powerful example of this impact in action.
Derek’s path to Queen’s University is grounded in a clear purpose: to become a technology teacher and help reintroduce and revitalize skilled trades education in Ontario’s high schools. Enrolling in Queen’s University’s Technology Teacher Education program became a critical step in his journey, providing a direct pathway for him to turn his real-world technical skills into meaningful learning for students in the classroom. His experience reflects a growing recognition that universities are essential partners in addressing labour market needs – particularly in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and energy, where demand for skilled workers continues to rise.
Today, Derek is already making that impact felt. While pursuing his goal of becoming an educator, he is volunteering at the Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, where he is helping to build an HVAC program designed to equip students with both technical knowledge and the confidence to pursue careers in the trades. His work is not only about skills training, it is about opening pathways, changing perceptions, and ensuring students see viable, rewarding futures in the skilled trades.
Derek’s story highlights several important dimensions of university impact:
- Bridging education and workforce needs: Universities are preparing future educators who can connect classroom learning with real-world skills in high-demand sectors.
- Strengthening the talent pipeline: By supporting pathways into teaching and skilled trades, universities help address critical labour shortages across Ontario’s economy.
- Community engagement and leadership: Students like Derek are already contributing to their communities before even completing their degrees, by building programs and mentoring young learners.
Derek says his goal is to: “help bring the skilled trades back into high schools,” ensuring students have both the education and confidence to pursue these careers. This vision aligns closely with Ontario’s broader economic priorities and underscores the role universities play in enabling opportunity, mobility and growth.
Derek’s journey is a reminder that university impact extends far beyond campus. It is reflected in classrooms, communities and careers across the province, where graduates are not only shaping their own futures but helping others build theirs.
Published on April 7, 2026.
