Despite the high skill and training involved in jobs in the performing arts, these are not included in formal apprenticeship programs, making training haphazard, non-standardized, and underfunded.

The arts and cultural sector is a major overperformer in economic impact, but struggles with the problems of an unstable workforce, low skills retention, and a lack of equitable career pathways for young workers.

The arts, entertainment, and recreational sector employs about 174,000 Ontarians, with nearly 15,400 of them in Niagara and Hamilton. The Shaw Festival alone employs over 500 people, making it one of the region’s largest employers. About 75% of arts and cultural workers are part-time, and a quarter are aged under 35. Trainees in the performing arts sector in roles such as stagecraft, technical production, choreography, set design, and so forth are not trained as apprentices in the same way as other recognized skilled trades, but informally through mentorships, residencies, and experiential learning. This leads to a workforce with widely varying skills and capabilities in the same roles, and does not lend itself to stable and established careers.

Arts and cultural jobs should be formally recognized as skilled trades, and structured apprenticeship programs developed for them. This would add stability to the sector’s workforce, standardize skills, and offer stable, attractive career pathways for young workers.

2024-ongoing