Ontario Investing $268,848 in Free Pre-apprenticeship Training in Cornwall
Funding will help train 40 people for in-demand jobs in the skilled trades and address the labour shortage
Cornwall — The Ontario government is working for workers by investing $268,848 to boost pre-apprenticeship training and help more people in Cornwall get trained for meaningful and well-paying careers an in-demand industry. This funding is part of the government’s record investment in nearly 100 free pre-apprenticeship programs around the province to promote careers in the skilled trades to young people and help tackle the province’s historic labour shortage.
“With nearly 400,000 jobs going unfilled across Ontario, this will help 40 people in Cornwall gain the skills and experience to work in the trades,” said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “This $268,848 investment will help fill 40 well-paying positions and help with the labour shortage in Ontario.”
Led by the Eastern Ontario Training Board, this project will provide 40 people who are interested in working in the trades gain the skills and experience they need to get a job as a General Carpenter or Automotive Service Technician, and apprentice with a local employer, so they can earn bigger paycheques for themselves and their families.
“Ontario is combatting the largest labour shortage in a generation, and each one of these jobs unfilled is a paycheque waiting to be collected,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “When you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life. Our government will continue to invest in innovative training opportunities that give young people the tools they need to build better lives for themselves and stronger communities for us all.”
To help increase participation in the skilled trades, the government has recently made changes including making it easier for high school students to explore these careers, requiring women’s-only washrooms on constructions sites, announcing a $224 million investment in building and upgrading training centres.
“With the increasing need for skilled tradespeople, this initiative will help boost access to quality jobs, tackling labour market shortage, all the while providing opportunities to our unemployed and under-employed population including youth entering the workforce. These free pre-apprenticeship programs are accessible to unemployed and under-employed individuals living in Cornwall, SDG, PR and /or Akwesasne (ON),” said Martha Woods, Executive Director, Eastern Ontario Training Board.
This funding announced is part of the government’s nearly $1.5 billion-dollar investment in the Skilled Trades Strategy, from 2021-22 to 2023-24. These initiatives build on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support, and protect workers, making Ontario the best place in the world to work, live and raise a family.
QUICK FACTS
- In Q1 2023, there were over 300,000 unfilled jobs in Ontario, many of which are in the skilled trades.
- There are over 140 skilled trades in Ontario.
- By 2026, one in five job openings in Ontario are projected to be in the skilled trades.
- Ontario’s construction industry will need to hire almost 100,000 additional workers due to retirements and job growth by 2026.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Media Contact
Office of Nolan Quinn, MPP Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry
Tel: 613-933-6513 TF: 1-800-514-9660
Email: nolan.quinn@pc.ola.org |