u/gettradeup

I’m curious what everyone’s biggest “I wish I knew this sooner” moment was when starting their trade.
Could be anything — finding an employer, tools, wages, apprenticeships, dealing with journeymen, school, actually getting good at the trade, etc.
I’m trying to collect advice from people who are already in the industry because there’s honestly not a ton of good information in one place for young people trying to get started.
I’ve also been working on a little project called TradeUp around helping young Canadians find trade jobs/apprenticeships, and some of the answers here could genuinely help build it better.
So, what do you wish someone told you at 16–18?

I’ve been looking into this for a while, and the more I talk to people in the trades, the more obvious the problem seems.
If you’re a young person trying to get into the trades, where do you even look?
Indeed? Facebook? Company websites? Ask around and hope someone knows someone?
And even when you find a posting, you often have no idea what the employer is actually looking for, how good the company is, or whether you’re even a realistic candidate.
Then on the other side, employers can get a pile of applications and still struggle to find someone who actually fits the job.
That’s basically why I started building TradeUp.
I’m trying to make finding work in the trades feel less like a scavenger hunt.
It’s still early, and I definitely don’t have everything figured out.
So I’m curious — if you work in the trades, what’s the most annoying part about finding a job or hiring someone?

Hey everyone,
I'm 17 and I've been working on a platform called Trade Up (gettradeup.ca) — a job board built specifically for skilled tradespeople in Canada.
The problem I kept seeing: electricians, plumbers, apprentices, HVAC techs — all struggling to find employers through generic boards like Indeed. And on the flip side, employers can't find qualified tradespeople. The apprenticeship gap especially is bad — thousands of apprentices who can't get a company to take them on.
The site isn't fully live yet, still building it out — but I'm already talking to employers and tradespeople across Canada.
If you're in the trades or know someone who is, I'd genuinely love to hear what's been hardest about finding work or finding people.
Instagram: @gettradeup
Website: gettradeup.ca

Hey everyone,
I'm 17 and I've been working on a platform called Trade Up (gettradeup.ca) a job board built specifically for skilled tradespeople in Canada.
The problem I kept seeing: electricians, plumbers, apprentices, HVAC techs – all struggling to find employers through generic boards like Indeed. And on the flip side, employers can't find qualified tradespeople. The apprenticeship gap especially is bad — thousands of apprentices who can't get a company to take them on.
The site isn't fully live yet, still building it out — but I'm already talking to employers and tradespeople across Canada.
If you're in the trades or know someone who is, I'd genuinely love to hear what's been hardest about finding work or finding people.
Instagram: @gettradeup
Website: gettradeup.ca