Feds add $1 million to skills training program

The federal government is channeling another $1 million into a manufacturing skills training program aimed at filling skilled labor gaps in Canadian industry.

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced the top-up investment in the Yves Landry Foundation (YLF), which it said will support up to an additional 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), train and re-train 500 workers, and create an estimated 60 jobs.

“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with the Government of Canada to assist our manufacturers in becoming more competitive and capable,” YLF executive director Karyn Brearley said in a news release. “If our manufacturers are competitive on a global basis, Ontario can retain and grow essential manufacturing jobs.”

Named for the late Yves Landry, former chairman, president and CEO of Chrysler Canada Ltd., the foundation offers training and helps manufacturers identify ways to improve productivity and diversify their product portfolios.

The investment will go toward the Achieving Innovation and Manufacturing Excellence (AIME) global initiative, which was created to meet the needs of exporting and export-ready manufacturers in southern Ontario.

The additional $1 million brings the total FedDev Ontario investment in YLF to $18 million since 2009.

FedDev Ontario committed $12-million to YLF in November of that year, followed by a $5-million contribution in January 2012.

“Our government is committed to supporting the growth of the manufacturing sector by investing in the people who make it so vital,” Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario, said.

“These investments have allowed for the continued skills training that workers need, and, in turn, will help manufacturers improve productivity and access new markets locally and globally.”