By investing $224 million to build and upgrade training centers and assist in addressing the province’s long-standing labor shortage, the government of Ontario is working for workers. On June 30, applications for the brand-new Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) go live. It will provide funding for unions, Indigenous centers, and industry associations to construct new training centers or to upgrade and transform existing facilities into new training centers equipped with cutting-edge technology.
Premier Doug Ford stated, “This new program will help boost the province’s training infrastructure, providing more people with opportunities to learn new skills and advance their careers into jobs that pay well and are in demand.” We are taking the necessary steps to expand our talent pool so that we can continue to have the best workforce in the world and continue to attract investments and build Ontario.
In Ontario, roughly 300,000 jobs go unfilled each day, costing the state billions of dollars in lost productivity. There will be a wide range of applicants for the new capital stream, which will support facility expansions, renovations, repairs, and retrofits, as well as the construction of new buildings. Over the course of their existence, these improved training centers are anticipated to assist over one million workers in receiving the education they require to obtain better employment opportunities and to guarantee that businesses will be able to locate the skilled workforce they require to expand the economy for everyone.
Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development Monte McNaughton stated, “Ontario is facing the largest labor shortage in a generation, and our government is on a mission to help workers train for the well-paying jobs we know are available.” We will keep putting money into cutting-edge training programs and infrastructure to help people looking for work in every part of our province get ready for the future.
Through the SDF program, the Ontario government is also contributing $535,000 to the launch of two novel projects that will broaden the availability of apprenticeships for potential boilermakers in Northern Ontario and throughout the province. These free programs, which will be led by International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 128, will give 1,350 people the chance to learn about rewarding careers as boilermakers, which can pay up to $38 an hour.
“Our government is pleased to make a new investment in funding for the construction, improvement, and conversion of training centers throughout the province. Putting resources into these instructional hubs is significant to building a more grounded Ontario by getting laborers prepared and into the labor force,” said Kinga Surma, Priest of Foundation. ” We are creating a future of innovation and economic prosperity by providing individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to master their craft. As we keep on putting resources into basic framework, these prepared laborers will assist with building Ontario for a long time into the future.”
The first project will provide 1,200 high school students with the opportunity to pursue apprenticeships in the trade and hands-on experience in welding, cutting, and rigging. Women, Indigenous people, and others from rural Northern Ontario communities who are interested in learning about skilled trades will receive priority.
Jonathan White, International Representative – CSO at the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, stated, “To meet the demand for skill trades in the province, it is essential that we develop the skills and abilities of those individuals who are interested in a career within the trades, which is our mission with these projects.” The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers applauds the remarkable decision made by the Ontario government to increase its investment in the trades through the Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund. This investment will add to and improve training centers that will be used to create the highly skilled workforce required to support Ontario’s infrastructure and expand industry opportunities.
150 new job seekers from across the province will receive free food, transportation, and lodging as part of the second project as they begin introductory apprenticeship training. In preparation for becoming boilermaker apprentices, participants will complete rigorous course work on rigging, working at heights, and construction safety.
The current SDF, a $700 million initiative that supports ground-breaking programs that connect job seekers with the skills and training they need to find well-paying careers close to home, provides funding for these two projects.
