Ontario invests $3.6M in free training for construction workers

The Ontario government has announced a $3.6 million investment into three projects to support Ontarians pursuing “meaningful and well-paying careers” in construction.

The programs led by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council (PBCTCO) of Ontario will focus on increasing women’s participation in the field by providing online training tools and exclusive employment opportunities to jobseekers.

Additionally, the program will provide grade 12 students the opportunity to have a first-hand look at what a career in construction looks like.

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With women making up less than five percent of Ontario’s construction workforce, the first project run through this investment will work to help 700 tradeswomen gain the leadership, communications, health and safety training and networking opportunities needed to start and advance careers in the industry.

The second project aims to provide access to 1,500 to online resources and training tools to explore the skilled trades, build core skills and find apprenticeship opportunities in their profession of choice, connecting them directly to local employers.

The third project, Tomorrow’s Trades, will 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 to help prepare them for careers in the industry.

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All transportation and training costs will be covered for all students participating.

Tomorrow’s Trades has previously run in Hamilton and Toronto among other parts of the province.

Speaking on the investment, PBCTCO Business Manager Marc Arsenault says “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”.

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