and not really because of Trump’s tariffs, but rather the very high taxes, regulations, and lots of wasteful government spending

Oooh you're really going to have trouble on here as a Conservative. I won't even argue; you'll get enough of that.

I will say our economy is roughly static right now, not falling, because that's relevant to your decision and easy to look up if you don't believe me.

However, I did hear that the automotive mechanic trade is pretty recession-proof (because people will still need their cars fixed even in a recession and will be less likely to buy a new car).

Goes for any emergency repair-type business, really, so keep that in mind. Low-end stuff also benefits during a recession, and anything maintenance-based should hold steady, including first responders or (relevant for Canada right now) the military. What suffers a lot is luxuries, new projects and basic industries that feed into many other things that are slowing down.

Is there another reason you want to do automotive? You spend too much time at work to pick something that doesn't hold your interest at least a bit.

I just thought that taking the Automotive Technician would really improve my chances of getting into the trade because I just don’t have any previous work experience.

Yes, it would. Canada is actually the most educated country in the world by far, and has a bad credentialism problem. Almost any industry is going to covet more education, and you'll see people doing the exact same job for a lot more because they have some kind of diploma.

On the other side, I know tons of people with a degree they're never going to use, or at the very least aren't going to use for that actual field.

Yes.

More education is always a good thing. Diplomas are probably a requirement for high end luxury shops that pay better. I had a friend who worked in a Ferrari dealership as a mechanic, he made good money.

You can look up average starting salaries online coming out with different diplomas and compare them. Trade schools will have the info usually somewhere on their website. Might give you a better idea.

Another quick tidbit but it's a good time to ask yourself if you want to work on cars badly enough that you are willing to drive a shit car to do it. There are much much better salaries in aviation for essentially the same type of jobs. It's better to be working on planes for a living so you can afford to work on cars as a hobby.

I doubt that would be a make or break requirement for getting hired somewhere but it definitely could be the thing that differentiates you from another candidate applying for the same job. Honestly you should go ask the mechanics at your local shop for their opinion. They are usually pretty personable and the few I've met were very eager to help new guys get started in the trade. Could also pay off when looking for a job later if they keep you in mind.

I went to a trade school to be an automotive tech, and they had a job fair near the end of the program where all of the local dealerships came out to give out information and set up interviews.

I came out of the program with an entry level hourly position as a technician at the BMW dealership and worked with a master tech until I was ready to start flagging hours.

Speaking as someone from the USA, so there's probably a bit of a cultural difference, but I'd say it's the most likely way to secure a decent job in the industry. Otherwise, you could likely get a job busting down tires and doing oil changes at a local shop. You'll be getting experience that way, but what you learn will be very dependent on the individual shop. It's a much cheaper alternative, though (at least in the US).