Skills Ontario gets additional $3.5 million to promote skilled trades

The government of Ontario is investing an additional $3.5 million in Skills Ontario for the 2020-2021 school year to help the organization help continue to promote the skilled trades.

This most recent investment is in addition to $1.5 million in new funding the government provided earlier this year to support outreach and promotion to youth, educators, and parents.

“As Ontario carefully reopens, the skilled trades are an essential part of the recovery and future of our economy,” said Minister Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development of Ontario. “We need to continue to promote the skilled trades to young people to give them access to jobs that are fulfilling, meaningful, and well-paid, and to keep the many industries that depend on skilled trades thriving. Skills Ontario does this very well.”

“On behalf of Skills Ontario, we thank Minister McNaughton and the Government of Ontario for their tremendous support of our efforts,” said Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “Our objective is to connect education, experience, and employment for youth so that they can be aware of, explore and pursue the incredible opportunities in the skilled trades and technologies. We are grateful for the increased support from the Ontario government, and look forward to continuing to deliver programs to help strengthen our economy and secure our future.  The pandemic has underscored the importance of skills and technology careers, and they will help lead us out of our economic challenges”.

The goal of the funding, the government added, is to “present the skilled trades as the viable, first-choice career options they are” to young people, educators, and parents.

Founded in 1989, Skills Ontario is designed and dedicated to encouraging young people to consider careers in skilled trades and technologies.