Without our data, we may as well not exist. That can be said about a lot of research projects, but it is especially true for Job Talks. Our mission is to change the perspective of society on certain occupations, beginning with the skilled trades. Without our robust data set, we would not have the deep-diving, rich, and detailed portraits of individuals in these occupations; we would have no story to tell. As mentioned in my last post, the research team has completed our survey of 1,000 skilled men and women across Canada. Starting today, I'll be sharing a few of these stories as we draft our report.
From a researcher's point-of-view, here are some interesting facts and meta-numbers:
Our survey took about 45 minutes to complete, yet we had remarkably few:
Drop-outs (people starting and never finishing the survey)
Straight-liners (people who rushed through the survey without thinking about their responses)
Technical glitches
Complaints or personal issues
Over 40 different trades are represented in our data set, and we received some of the most responses from:
Welders
Plumbers
Carpenters
Electricians
Cooks/Chefs
Mechanics
Participants varied greatly in age, resulting in a multi-generational sample:
Over 200 participants were 25 and under
Different career-stages are well represented, as the majority of participants are between 26 and 54
Over 100 responses came from participants over 55, showing a deep personal investment in the future of their respective trades
Without giving too much away, there is a lot more to come regarding how participants scored their job skill, satisfaction, and likelihood to recommend their trade to others.
As you might guess, a 45-minute survey done by 1,000 different people has given us quite a lot to work with when it comes to writing our report. The team continues to film and edit interviews with skilled men and women to bring some of our data to life. If you come from a skilled trades background, are passionate about your work, and would like to share your story on camera, contact us today! -Benjamin Millard, Research Assistant