College Trades

Challenge

The Province of Ontario was facing a growing skilled trades shortage, with projections indicating that more than 700,000 tradespeople would retire over the coming years. At the same time, many prospective students were unaware that Ontario colleges offered pathways into apprenticeship careers and that many programs could provide credit toward the classroom portion of an apprenticeship.

Working in partnership with Colleges Ontario and the Government of Ontario, the objective was to create a public-facing website that would increase awareness of skilled trades careers, promote college pathways into apprenticeships, and help prospective students discover programs aligned with their interests and career goals.

The challenge was not simply to build a website. We had four months to transform a complex collection of programs, pathways, and government initiatives into an engaging digital experience that could educate users, inspire career exploration, and connect learners with opportunities across Ontario’s college system.

Approach

As Lead Designer, I collaborated with Product, Content, and Development teams to translate complex apprenticeship and post-secondary information into a clear and accessible user experience.

Working closely with stakeholders from Colleges Ontario and the Government of Ontario, we identified key user needs, defined content priorities, and developed a site architecture that balanced career exploration with program discovery. The experience was designed around helping users answer fundamental questions:

• What trade is right for me?
• How do apprenticeships work?
• Which college programs support my goals?
• What pathways are available after graduation?

The solution combined information architecture, interaction design, visual communication, and educational content into a unified platform that guided users from curiosity to action.

Outcome

The project was delivered on schedule and successfully met the objectives defined by Colleges Ontario and the Government of Ontario. Stakeholders responded positively to the final product, particularly the site’s ability to communicate apprenticeship pathways and highlight qualifying college programs across the province.

While the platform succeeded as a communication and awareness initiative, long-term adoption proved challenging. Throughout the project, the team advocated for a broader content strategy focused on practical, user-centered resources that would encourage repeat visits and ongoing engagement. Ultimately, the site remained focused primarily on program promotion, limiting its ability to become a destination resource for prospective apprentices.

The experience reinforced an important lesson: great design can improve usability and communication, but sustainable engagement depends on delivering content that users genuinely need and value.

Despite limited website traffic, the project’s visual communication framework proved highly successful. Educational materials and pathway graphics developed for the platform were adapted into printed resources and classroom materials that continue to be used by guidance counsellors and educators to help students understand apprenticeship pathways and skilled trades careers.