An electrician earns more than many university graduates while experiencing none of their student debt. A welder finds work wherever she goes because her skills are in demand. A carpenter takes pride in tangible accomplishment—at day's end, he can see what he built. Yet many high school students never seriously consider trades careers because parents, teachers, and counsellors steer them elsewhere. Across Canada, skilled trades face persistent stigma despite strong employment outcomes—a cultural bias that costs both potential tradespeople and the economy that needs them.