An innovative project to help 65 electrical workers improve their skills and meet the demand for qualified electricians in eastern Ontario is receiving $2.7 million in funding from the government of Ontario. The free program, which will be run by KE Electrical, will give participants the training they need to move up the ladder from laborer to apprentice, apprentice to journeyman, and journeyman to foreman. While addressing the serious shortage of skilled tradespeople facing the province, this will assist electrical workers in increasing their take-home pay for themselves and their families.
Premier Doug Ford stated, “Right across the province, we are facing a historic labor shortage, with thousands of skilled trades jobs going unfilled every day.” These kinds of programs aid in ensuring that we have the skilled workforce necessary to construct the homes, hospitals, schools, and infrastructure projects our expanding province requires.
At least 1,600 additional electricians are needed across Ontario, a number that is expected to rise in the coming years as one in three skilled trades workers near retirement age. The opportunity to participate in 8,500 hours of hands-on training on technical skills and abilities, health and safety, professional development, and other essential industry skills will be provided by this project to both new and existing KE Electrical employees.
Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development Monte McNaughton said, “When you have a career as an electrician, you have a career for life.” Because of this, our government will continue to make investments in ground-breaking training programs that assist individuals in acquiring the skills necessary to develop Ontario and advance their careers.
The program will assist the province in locating the electricians required to assist in the construction of its historic infrastructure plans, as well as assist 65 men and women in taking the next step in their careers in an industry that is in high demand. All employees will receive free training at locations throughout eastern Ontario, and they will also be reimbursed for their mileage and other travel costs.
Gordon Kemp, president of KE Electrical Ltd., stated, “KE Electrical Ltd. wishes to thank Premier Ford and Minister McNaughton for this critical investment.” “This funding will allow us to upskill, retrain, and develop our workforce so we can continue to deliver our essential services to underserved communities.” To ensure that Ontario becomes a leader in the training of the next generation of skilled tradespeople, we are working together to break down stereotypes and barriers.
The undertaking is subsidized through the public authority’s Abilities Improvement Asset, a more than $700 million drive, which upholds imaginative projects that interface jobseekers with the abilities and preparing they need to find well-paying vocations near and dear.
