July 29, 2025 - In mid-June, a coalition of bicycle industry training organizations led by Bike Training Collective Canada (BTCC), a Canadian NGO since 2024, submitted a proposal to Employment and Social Development Canada requesting that bicycle mechanic be listed as an occupation in the 2026 version of Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.
“Getting bicycle mechanics listed as an occupation is one of the first steps needed to begin building a professional, skilled workforce for the Canadian bicycle industry,” according to BTCC.
In Canada the occupation of bicycle mechanics is not on the national NOC list of over 400 recognized occupations. Canada is the only nation that does not include bicycle mechanics as a separate occupation in its national list of job occupations.
“A review of the six English language websites of national (USA, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand) and supranational (the United Nations and the European Union) occupational code systems reveals that Canada is not aligned to the way bicycle mechanics are classified globally,” reads BTCC’s submission.
Currently the occupation of bicycle mechanic in Canada is listed under NOC 73209 – Other Repairers and Servicers, an occupation code that covers over 100 job titles in very different industry sectors and occupations such as accordion repairer; adding machine repairer; air compressor repairer; airport equipment maintenance repairer; archery bow repairer; billiard table repairer etc. This code represents such a diverse and unrelated list of occupations that the statistical information collected and available to stakeholders is of limited value in making decisions for workforce attraction, wages etc.
Canada is currently out of step with its major trading partners and underestimates the crucial role bicycle mechanics play in supporting the growing cycling industry. Establishing a separate occupation code for bike mechanics will align Canada’s classification system with how the occupation of bicycle mechanic is classified in other nations.
The information collected on individual job occupations in the NOC are critical for growing an industry
and includes:
• The NOC listing of an occupation is a key initial prerequisite to having an occupation considered a
trade (defined at the provincial level) and to support the development of skill development and
apprenticeship programs
• Having an NOC occupation code for bicycle mechanics allows for the collection of vital economic statistics needed for the Canadian bicycle industry and other stakeholders to make more effective decisions that will stimulate greater economic growth and also achieve Canada’s sustainability objective
• Understanding the employment in an industry, how many people are hired per year and the
career opportunities for people entering the industry.
• Helps employers determine competitive wages for employees and career advancement.
• Allows education and training organizations to identify the training needs and develop and
operate training programs that serve the needs of the industry.
“Once an occupation has its own NOC code then Statistics Canada can collect information on the occupation,” notes Rob McMonagle, BTCC Advisor. “This then gets shared with the provinces which puts out occupation information on their website such as job openings. A good example is Motorcycle Mechanics (NOC 72423) which is a defined skilled trade.”
According to McMonagle having reliable statistics opens up the opportunity for government funding, standardized training programs, apprenticeships, determining competitive wages, support for workforce development and attraction for “professional” training/trainers each year which in turn creates a defined career pathway for new job seekers.
Identification of the appropriate TEER (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility) level is an important part of BTCC’s submission as it guides the development of training and apprenticeship programs for bicycle mechanics, as well as identifies the placement of the new occupation code in the NOC system.
“A key action is to bring professional workforce development people and institutions into the training of bicycle mechanics such as colleges, trade schools and sector councils,” adds McMonagle.
The bicycle industry has been experiencing dramatic growth globally. According to BTCC’s report the global bicycle industry had $45 billion US sales in 2017 which grew by 40% to $62 billion US in 2023. The market is expected to continue to grow and reach at least $70 billion US by 2029.
While actual global employment numbers of bicycle mechanics are difficult to obtain, one report from major European bicycle industry associations indicated that there were at least 50,000 bicycle mechanics employed by bicycle retailers in Europe in 2017 according to BTCC.
In fact, there’s a growing shortage of skilled bicycle mechanics across Europe, and Shimano Europe and Cycling Industries Europe have launched a survey, “Nextgen Mechanics: Advancing Cycle Mechanic Standards & Careers Together”, to better understand the current challenges and opportunities and help guide policy, investment, and collaboration.
Canada has an estimated 600-800 bicycle shops with at least one bicycle mechanic per outlet, and retail sales of bicycles and equipment are at around $1.56 billion (StatsCan). The need for qualified bicycle mechanics, including e-bikes, the most popular electric vehicle worldwide, continues to grow as the popularity of cycling is not slowing down.
The timing is also crucial as the NOC listings are only updated once every five years and the next version will be released in 2026. If Bicycle Mechanics are not included in the upcoming version, it will mean having to wait another five years (until 2031) for the next opportunity.
BTCC officially launched in 2024 with support from the Peter Gilgan Foundation and the leadership of The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) in collaboration with pointA and a number of dedicated training organizations.
Along with many other cycling stakeholders including The Learning Enrichment Foundation, Cycle Toronto, Canada Electric Bike Association, Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association and others, the goal is to “create a professionalized, standard set of curriculums so that bike mechanics can become a certified skilled trade.”
Sign the petition here.
Read more about BTCC here.
Read BTCC’s submission here.
