New $23M initiative to tackle `looming crisis' in skilled trades
The Ontario government is making a renewed push to get more people into the trades, investing $23 million to encourage businesses to hire apprentices.
The money, part of the government's Achievement Incentive program that was announced Friday, will give as much as $4,000 to employers for each apprentice hired as they complete their training and certifications.
More than 11,000 Ontario employers in the construction, industrial, service and motive power sectors are eligible to take part in the program. Businesses will receive the money as apprentices reach certain milestones in their training.
The project is the latest launched by Ontario Labour Minister Monte Mcnaughton aiming to address the shortage of skilled tradespeople, which the government sees as a critical part of the province's economic recovery post-pandemic
“One of the priorities for us is to help those men and women who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mcnaughton, the Progressive Conservative MPP for Lambton-kent-middlesex.
“The careers in the skilled trades are life-changing, they are meaningful and well-paying.”
Yet the government estimates the province will face a shortage of about 100,000 workers in construction-related skilled trades over the next 10 years.
The impending shortage is largely the result of not enough people entering the trades to replace retiring workers. The Labour Ministry estimates one in three journeypersons today is over the age of 57 years.
“We have a looming crisis,” Mcnaughton said.
“It's all hands on deck from every ministry in government to get more young people to pick up a career in the trades ...
“We are really focusing on jobs that are available.
“Our mission continues to get more people into #skilledtrades.”
Among those impacted by the labour shortage is Jay Murray, president of London-based TLC landscaping.
“Our staff are really loyal, hard-working people to begin with, but finding new people just in general has been really difficult for the last four or five years,” he said.
Murray said his company, which does landscape construction and grounds maintenance, is training four apprentices: two in horticulture and two in equipment and auto mechanics.
But his company had to hire from within to fill the apprentice positions due to a lack of options, despite the fact the construction sector in the London and surrounding region has been booming over the last few years.
“There's a lot of demand, probably exceeding supply,” Murray said.
The provincial government also announced on Friday that it will also invest $24 million in 2021 to help colleges, unions and apprentice training providers to upgrade their equipment and training facilities.
Some of the in-demand skilled trades include welder; construction and industrial millwright; electrician; general machinist; and automotive service technician.