The Ontario government is investing $3.5 million in provincewide training initiatives to help more students launch rewarding careers in the skilled trades. These projects will be led by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO).
The projects aim to prepare nearly 2000 young people for well-paying jobs in the construction industry, including a path to paid training and union-sponsored apprenticeships.
Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, immigration, training, and skills development, announced this investment in November 2022, at the Finishing Trades Institute of Ontario, where he was joined by Peter Bethlenfalvy, minister of finance; PBCTCO business manager Marc Arsenault; and labour leaders from across Ontario. The PBCTCO brings together 12 leading construction unions with a provincewide membership of 150,000 workers.
The PBCTCO’s Tomorrow’s Trade programs provide training to at-risk youth and allow students to explore lucrative careers in the construction trades, meet industry mentors, and develop essential construction sector skills. The programs are available for students in London, Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor-Sarnia, and Sudbury until March 2023.
The investment will also support PBCTCO programs aimed at recruiting people who have traditionally been underrepresented in the construction and skilled trades. Students interested in applying are encouraged to reach out to the PBCTCO.
Ontario is also expanding eligibility of the Skills Development Fund, along with an additional $40 million investment, to support more training projects for high school and post-secondary students. This change will help more young people transition from school to rewarding and purpose-driven careers in high-demand sectors and help deliver the province’s ambitious infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031. This announcement brings Ontario’s total investment in the Skills Development Fund to over $620 million.
“Our government has a plan to build,” says Minister McNaughton. “Whether it is through the launch of our skilled trades career fairs or innovative projects like this, we are preparing the next generation of young people for six-figure salaries in in-demand industries. We need all hands on deck to deliver our ambitious infrastructure plans, which is why we are bringing labour, government, and business together to build a stronger Ontario that leaves no one behind.”
