Ontario putting $3.5 million toward construction trades training
By Adam Freill
Construction Skills DevelopmentNew provincial investments prioritizing skilled trades training for students, including underrepresented groups.
PHOTO: Getty Images/
Michaelmjc
The Ontario government is investing $3.5 million in province-wide training initiatives to help more students launch careers in the skilled trades. The province says the projects, which will be led by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO), will aim to prepare nearly 2,000 young people for jobs in the construction industry.
“Whether it’s through the launch of our skilled trades career fairs or innovative projects like this, we’re preparing the next generation of young people for six-figure salaries in in-demand industries,” said Monte McNaughton, the province’s minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development. “We need all hands on deck to deliver our ambitious infrastructure plans, which is why we’re bringing labour, government and business together.”
The PBCTCO’s Tomorrow’s Trade programs are available for students in London, Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor-Sarnia and Sudbury until March 2023.
The investment will also support PBCTCO programs aimed at recruiting people who have traditionally been underrepresented in the construction and skilled trades.
“The new funding pledged towards the Skills Development Fund will help bring training and apprenticeship opportunities to those seeking to join the skilled trades in construction,” said Marc Arsenault, business manager and secretary-treasurer of the PBCTCO.
Ontario is also expanding eligibility of the province’s Skills Development Fund, along with an additional $40 million to support more training projects for high-school and postsecondary students.
“Every student deserves to graduate with the skills they need to find a rewarding and well-paying career. Construction offers job security, high salaries, and the chance to build an exciting career,” stated Melissa Young, CEO and registrar for Skilled Trades Ontario. “Programs like Tomorrow’s Trades are helping to ease the transition from the classroom to the workforce and will be critical to addressing the labour shortages we’re seeing in the construction sector.”
