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Ontario investing in free pre-apprenticeship training in Simcoe

July 10, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Ontario government is investing $259,974 in Simcoe-Grey to boost pre-apprenticeship training and help more people get trained for meaningful and well-paying careers in an in-demand industry.

The funding is part of the government’s record investment in nearly 100 pre-apprenticeship programs around the province to promote careers in the skilled trades to young people and help tackle the province’s labour shortage.

“Ontario’s skilled trades are vital to the growth of the economy and our government’s Plan to Build, offering careers that lead to secure jobs and a good quality of life,” said Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey. “I would like to extend my thanks to Mike MacEachern, executive director at Focus Community Development, and his team of dedicated professionals, who work hard to provide quality service to the individuals they assist.”

Led by FOCUS Community Development Corporation, this project will provide 15 people interested in working in the trades to gain the skills and experience they need to get a job in the culinary industry and apprentice with a local employer to earn bigger paycheques.

“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 and requiring women-only washrooms on construction sites, as well as announcing a $224 million investment in building and upgrading training centres.

The culinary program covers Level 1 training at Georgian College, food safety training certification, and transportation. Students are also provided with uniforms, knife kits, and non-slip shoes.

The funding announcement is part of the provincial government’s nearly $1.5 billion investment in the Skilled Trades Strategy.

There are over 140 skilled trades in Ontario.

In the first quarter of 2023, there were over 300,000 unfilled jobs in Ontario – many of which are in the skilled trades.

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