This document is part of a series prepared by The Alliance of Sector Councils (TASC), a network of more than 35 sector councils and similar organizations.

The authors describe a number of initiatives undertaken by sector councils to deal with shortages in skilled trades. Those initiatives include an online toolkit linking potential apprentices with prospective employers; a program that encourages employers in the steel industry to retain apprentices and hire back apprentices who had been laid off; and a petroleum industry initiative that helps move workers from downsizing situations to in-demand jobs.

Sector councils are industry‐led partnerships that bring together representatives from business, labour, education, and other professional groups to address sector‐wide human resource issues on a national scale.