August 8th Weekly update

Ontario Providing Free Training for Construction Workers

The Ontario government is investing $3.6 million to support three innovative projects to help over 2,200 women and young people across Ontario prepare for meaningful and well-paying careers in the construction trades. Led by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO), these free programs will focus on increasing female participation in the industry, providing online training tools and exclusive employment opportunities to jobseekers, and giving grade 12 students a first-hand look at life-changing careers in construction.

Women make up less than five per cent of Ontario’s construction workforce, meaning many are missing out on a lucrative and in-demand sector. That is why the first PBCTO project will help 700 tradeswomen gain the leadership, communications, health and safety training, and networking opportunities they need to start and advance rewarding careers in the industry. It will also include the development of a speaker’s bureau to partner tradeswomen with speaking opportunities with schools, employment agencies, trade shows and other events across the province to mentor and attract more women into the skilled trades.

“The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario appreciates the support of the Government of Ontario to invest in and expand three important projects with the organized skilled trades and our employer partners,” said Marc Arsenault, Business Manager at PBCTCO. “These projects, while all unique, together focus on developing the workforce of the future and expanding opportunities within the skilled trades for equity-seeking groups. As we move forward, this investment supports a fact-based approach to workforce development that will create opportunities for more Ontarians to embark on a great career to build the province we live in.”

The second project will provide 1,500 people with access to online resources and training tools where they can explore the skilled trades, build core skills and find apprenticeship opportunities in their profession of choice, connecting them directly with local employers. People interested in learning more about unionized career opportunities in the skilled trades can visit www.ctaontario.ca/explore for more information.

Additionally, PBCTCO’s Tomorrow’s Trades program is returning to provide 60 grade 12 students in London and Ottawa with hands-on learning opportunities, behind-the-scenes access to high-profile construction projects and training so they can prepare for life-changing jobs in the industry.

To help deliver the Province’s ambitious infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031, Ontario will need over 100,000 new skilled trades workers this decade. These three 12-metre-long Trades & Tech Trucks will travel across the province, providing students an opportunity to explore the skilled trades and speak with industry members, while learning about local training opportunities, colleges and employers.

“Since rolling out our first Trades & Tech truck last year, our mobile classroom has provided thousands of students with hands-on learning experiences,” said Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “This program ignites an awareness of opportunities in the skilled trades and tech field that inspires more young people to pursue these careers. We want to thank and recognize Minister McNaughton and Premier Ford for the leadership and investments they have provided to build the skilled workforce of tomorrow.”

Last month, the government announced apprenticeship registrations increased by 24 per cent in the last year – from 21,971 to 27,319 – as more people decide to pursue rewarding, well-paying careers in the industry. This increase, including a 28 per cent jump among women, follows more than $1 billion in investment in the skilled trades over three years, along with the launch of the new government agency, Skilled Trades Ontario.

“I recently announced that starting in September of 2024, all high school students will take at least one technology education course to create pathways to exciting jobs of the future,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “Ontario’s new mobile tech classroom will support 150,000 students every year in learning those critical skills that will set them up for success in a good-paying job.”

The province helped launch the Trades & Tech Truck pilot program in 2022. The first truck reached over 40,000 students and young people, visiting more than 50 events across the province from Toronto to Ottawa and Thunder Bay.