Ontario Creating New Training Partnerships, Jobs

Investment in Training Will Help Workers Get the Skills Employers Need

KITCHENER — Ontario’s Government is investing $20 million in training partnerships that will help job seekers and workers get the in-demand skills they need for good jobs, and connect them with employers looking to grow their businesses.

The new provincial funding will roughly triple the existing program, which was launched in January 2018. 

“Nearly one in five jobs over the next five years will be in the skilled trades,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “We are looking to industry and other partners for innovative solutions to help solve this skills gap.”

In order to qualify for funding, companies will need to form partnerships and demonstrate innovative approaches to training and workforce development. “We need to prepare our children and other young workers for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Minister McNaughton. “Careers in the trades are meaningful, exciting and well-paying. This is just one of the ways we will help young workers and employers succeed in a rapidly-changing world.”

The government supported 20 successful training projects through the first round of the Skills Catalyst Fund, including:

• A simulated workplace environment where 500 students in the Sarnia, London, Thunder Bay and Belleville area worked on real-life industry problems in business, engineering, health and information technology. 
• An introduction to masonry for 274 middle- and high school students in Windsor, Ottawa, Kingston, and the GTA through a partnership between various school boards and the Ontario Masonry Training Centre. 

• Apprentice bootcamps launched by  the Communitech Academy in Kitchener that introduced 170 participants to the basics of digital marketing, tech sales, data science, UX, and Artificial Intelligence. 

“Communitech is thrilled to support the Government of Ontario’s vital work on training and skills development,” said Iain Klugman, CEO of Communitech. “This new investment in the Skills Catalyst Fund is significant and sends a signal to businesses that the skilled workers they need to both grow and succeed in the digital economy will be present right here in Ontario.” 

Ontario will launch the call for proposals for the next round of the Skills Catalyst Fund in the coming weeks.