Ontario funds upgrades to skilled trade training centres

Key Takeaways:

• $224 million will go towards building and upgrading training centres.
• The province also plans to invest $75 million over three years to support the operations and programing at new and existing centres.
• Applications for the new Skills Development Fund (SDF) capital stream are expected to open in late spring.

The Whole Story:

To help tackle the province’s labour shortage and get more people into careers in the skilled trades, the Ontario government is investing $224 million more to build and upgrade training centres.

The province also plans to invest $75 million more over the next three years to support the operations and programing at new and existing centres to prepare workers for in-demand careers like electricians, welders and mechanics.

“As we build Ontario, we’re providing more women and men with opportunities to begin or advance their careers in the skilled trades,” said Premier Doug Ford. “As our population grows, we’re working hand-in-hand with labour unions, business groups and our colleges and universities to train the skilled workforce that will build the roads, highways, houses, public transit, hospitals and schools our economy needs. It’s all hands on deck.”

Applications for the new Skills Development Fund (SDF) capital stream are expected to open in late spring and will provide eligible applicants, including unions, Indigenous centres, businesses and industry associations, with funding to build new training centres or to upgrade or convert their existing facilities into training centres with state-of-the-art design and technology. This includes facility renovations, retrofits, expansions, repairs and building construction.

“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 Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development. “Today, 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 paycheques for themselves and their families.”

According to the province, nearly 300,000 jobs are going unfilled across Ontario, costing billions in lost productivity. To address this, the Skills Development Fund capital stream aims to create opportunities for unions and training providers to improve and expand their facilities.

“LiUNA! 183 fully supports the Ontario Government’s investment in upskilling and re-training our workforce through the Skills Development Fund (SDF),” said Jack Oliveira, business manager of Local 183. “The first three rounds of the SDF were tremendously successful and saw thousands of people receive skills for rewarding careers in industries such as the skilled trades. The newly announced ‘Capital’ stream will ensure that training providers in Ontario have the necessary tools and resources to continue their great work. We are proud to partner with Premier Ford and Minister McNaughton in this initiative.”

Officials added that Ontario’s 2023 Budget will be released on March 23 and will more details of the government’s approach,