Ontario Commits $90 Million to Promote Skilled Trades to Youth

Ontario is investing an additional $90 million over three years to further promote the skilled trades to young people. This investment comes in response to the release of last week’s Apprenticeship Youth Advisors report, which includes several recommendations to help solve the shortage of skilled workers Ontario is currently facing. HRAI is pleased to report that many of the findings in the report reflect the oral and written submissions made by HRAI during the Youth Advisors consultation process.

Funding will help attract more students to rewarding and lucrative careers in the trades and ensure employers have the workers they need to grow their businesses and drive our economy.  The government is also investing an additional $2.9 million, for a total of $20 million annually, to expand the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and provide more opportunities for students. The OYAP now has 63 recruiters across more than 800 schools so that students can learn about the skilled trades at a younger age.

According to the government, by 2025, as many as one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades, but the average age of people entering the trades today is 29. At the same time, a third of current tradespersons are nearing retirement, meaning the province is projected to face a shortfall of 100,000 construction workers over the decade.

To encourage employers to take on more apprentices, the province’s investments in achievement incentives and pre-apprenticeship training will increase to over $77 million annually, starting in 2022-2023. The achievement incentive will also focus on hiring apprentices from underrepresented groups, including women, BIPOC people, newcomers, Francophones and people with disabilities. Pre-apprenticeship program participants can also receive living allowances for costs like rent and childcare.

For more information, contact Chelsea Goberdhan at 1-800-267-2231 ext. 236, or email cgoberdhan@hrai.ca.

Additional Info

  • The Ministry of Education is planning professional learning opportunities for teachers, including guidance counsellors, so they can become more knowledgeable about the skilled trades. By promoting pathways that lead to the skilled trades and focusing on the skills needed by students to compete in the global economy, Ontario is helping to prepare students for success in the real world.
  • In January 2022, the province’s new training authority, Skilled Trades Ontario, will become operational, helping more young people find suitable careers in the skilled trades and complete their training faster.
  • To further promote careers in the skilled trades, the province has released a new promotional video and advertising campaign targeted to students with more information on the skilled trades. Starting this fall, Ontario will be investing $2 million to host annual Skilled Trades Career Fairs across the province.

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