The Ontario government is investing nearly $300 million to build and support training centres in an effort to get more people into careers in the skilled trades.
The province announced on Tuesday that it will spend an additional $224 million for the construction of new training centres, and another $75 million over three years to support operations and programming at new and existing centres.
“Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, which means when you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life,” said Labour Minister Monte McNaughton. “We’re supporting employers, unions and other training providers so that they can build and improve the facilities we need to attract and prepare our next generation of skilled trades workers for better jobs and bigger pay cheques for themselves and their families.”
Unions, Indigenous centres, businesses and industry associations will be able to apply for funding for training centres through the province’s new Skills Development Fund. Applications for the funds are expected to open in late spring.
Through the program, the government hopes to support growth in the skilled trades and other in-demand occupations.
According to the province, nearly 300,000 jobs are going unfilled across the province.
