FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 12, 2019
Getting People Ready for Skilled Trades Jobs in Brantford-Brant-Six Nations
Government Invests in Local Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
NEWS
BRANTFORD – Ontario’s Government is supporting people in the Brantford-Brant-Six Nations area so that they can prepare for rewarding, well-paying careers in the skilled trades, and employers can get the skilled workforce they need to make Ontario open for business and open for jobs.
About one in five new jobs in Ontario over the next five years is expected to be in trades-related occupations. This year, the province will provide funding for local colleges and community organizations throughout Ontario to deliver pre-apprenticeship training programs. These programs help people gain experience and knowledge in trades and foundational job skills to secure fulfilling jobs.
“Our government is taking action to address the skills shortage in Ontario,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “We know there are vacancies in the skilled trades, and we are working hard to help people in the area match their skills to the ones local employers need. This investment means that more people will get trained in the professions we need for today and tomorrow.”
“I have regular meetings with local businesses in the area and one consistent theme that is prevalent in all of my discussions is the lack of skilled trades employees and apprentices” said Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma. “Our partnership with Six Nations Polytechnic to continue to fund pre-apprenticeship training will go a long way to fill in this gap in our local labour pool” said Bouma. “Many trades are using cutting-edge technologies – robots, software, and automation – to help make processes faster. So it’s a great time to be in the skilled trades”.
“Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) is actively engaged with employers in the Brantford-Brant region to design and deliver innovative pre-trades pathways that will lead to continued trades training and employment” said Rebecca Jamieson President and CEO of Six Nations Polytechnic. “SNP is very pleased that the Ontario Government continues to support our collaborative efforts with financial support for three pre-apprenticeship programs: Welder; Cook and General Machinist”.
Brantford-Brant project includes:
- $393,001 to deliver pre-apprenticeship programs to 81 participants in Six Nations Polytechnic.
Pre-apprenticeship programs are free for participants and always includes a work placement. The programs also promote careers in the trades for all Ontarians, including newcomers, youth, women and Indigenous people.
The government recently passed the Modernizing the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2019 as part of the Protecting What Matters Most, 2019 Budget Act to help transform the skilled trades and apprenticeship system, reduce red tape, and make Ontario open for business and open for jobs.
QUICK FACTS
- For 2019-20, Ontario expanded its investment in pre-apprenticeship training to $20.8 million – an increase of $2.5 million from the previous year.
- This expanded investment will fund 91 projects across the province and help more than 1,800 people across the province prepare for jobs in the skilled trades.
- Pre-apprenticeship training programs last up to one year and often combine level one apprenticeship classroom training in the program’s principal trade along with an 8-12 week work placement.
- Pre-apprenticeship training is free and includes the cost of textbooks, safety equipment and tools.
- Retirements in the skilled trades are a main driver of the need for more skilled workers. In 2016, 31 per cent of skilled trades journeypersons were aged 55 years and over, compared to 22 per cent of all workers in Ontario.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Skilled trades and apprenticeship system changes
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For more information, contact MPP Will Bouma at 519-759-0361 or will.bouma@pc.ola.org