Helping More People Enter the Skilled Trades

Investing in pre-apprenticeship training programs to help more people get the hands-on experience they need for rewarding careers in the skilled trades

Our PC government is committed to helping job seekers retrain and upgrade their skills so they can begin rewarding careers in the skilled trades. That’s why we are investing an additional $21 million in pre-apprenticeship training programs for up to 2,000 people, including at-risk youth, new Canadians, Indigenous peoples, and women.

“Before COVID-19, the tremendous development and growth in our province was leading to a labour shortage, with Ontario’s construction sector needing 100,000 more workers to meet its needs over the next decade,” said Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “As we continue to lay the groundwork for our economic recovery, we are preparing people for fulfilling careers in the skilled trades while building the workforce that will help us get the economic engine of Canada roaring again.”

Pre-apprenticeship training programs last up to one year and combine classroom training with an eight- to 12-week work placement. Last year this program helped train 1,800 people in 91 programs across the province, including 11 in Hamilton. Training is free for participants and always includes a paid work placement. Eligible organizations can apply for the funding now, with the call for proposals ending on January 5, 2021.

As part of the province’s 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, our PC government’s Skilled Trades Strategy will help support economic recovery by breaking the stigma of the skilled trades, simplifying the system, and encouraging more women to get into the skilled trades.