Ontario funds construction mentorship program

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario is investing $1.5 million to train 100 experienced construction workers as mentors to support new housing construction and modern building practices.
• The mentorship program, led by the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, will pair seasoned workers with recent graduates and at-risk employees to upskill them in areas like resilient construction, mass timber regulations and radon mitigation.
• The investment is part of Ontario’s broader $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund, aimed at addressing labour shortages and supporting the province’s plan to build more homes.

The Whole Story:

The Ontario government is putting $1.5 million into a mentorship program aimed at helping experienced construction workers train the next generation in modern building practices and new home construction technologies.

The funding, delivered through the province’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream, will support 100 seasoned workers who will be trained as mentors in areas such as leadership, recent building code changes and emerging technologies. Once certified, they will work with recent graduates and workers at risk of job loss, guiding them through additional training and up to two new credentials in high-demand areas like resilient construction, mass timber regulations and radon mitigation.

Labour Minister David Piccini said the program is designed to address labour shortages in the construction sector while supporting the province’s pledge to build more homes.

“We are facing unprecedented economic times, and Ontario needs highly skilled workers that can deliver on our historic $200-billion infrastructure plan,” Piccini said in a statement. “With this investment, we are making sure more home builders have the skills to help open doors to good-paying jobs, keeping the dream of home ownership alive.”

The announcement was made Thursday at Panel-It, a St. Thomas-based division of Doug Tarry Homes. The program — called Futures Faster and led by the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) — is intended to create a pipeline of skilled workers to meet rising demand in the housing sector.

Parliamentary assistant Mohamed Firin said mentorship will be a key part of helping the next generation succeed. “By training experienced workers to become mentors, we’re strengthening Ontario’s workforce and creating new pathways for jobseekers to gain the skills and confidence they need to thrive,” he said.

The government says more than 10,500 jobs in the province’s construction sector went unfilled in the second quarter of 2025.

Ontario has invested $1.5 billion in the SDF since 2021, helping more than one million workers access training for in-demand careers. As part of its 2025 budget, the province has pledged another $1 billion over three years, bringing the fund’s total to $2.5 billion.

The mentorship program comes as Ontario pushes to accelerate housing construction. Recent measures include streamlining development approvals and introducing the $1.2-billion Building Faster Fund to encourage municipalities to speed up homebuilding.