Ottawa, ON — The Ontario government announced it is expanding its investment in pre-apprenticeship training to a record $28 million to help young people start a career in the skilled trades.
“Ontario continues to face a generational labour shortage. To build a stronger Ontario and grow our economy, we need all hands on deck. Every day, there are hundreds of thousands of paychecks waiting to be collected,” said Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, training and skills development.
Between July and September 2021, there were more than 330,000 unfilled jobs in Ontario, many of which are in the skilled trades.
In addition to the increased investment, Ontario has started negotiations with over 52 training organizations to expand 98 pre-apprenticeship projects for current and future tradespeople. It is reported that between April 2021 and March 2022, 1,790 people enrolled in pre-apprenticeship programs in Ontario.
“It is essential that we create greater awareness of the skilled trades as a valuable career path for our youth. Programs that support early consideration and opportunities to explore the trades will ensure that we have the workforce of the future that we need,” said Melissa Young, CEO and registrar of Skilled Trades Ontario.