TORONTO — The Ontario government announced Monday it will spend more than $6 million to expand apprenticeship pathways and modernize skilled trades training facilities in the Hamilton area.The funding, delivered through the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, Apprenticeship Capital Grant and Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, will support eight local organizations and help nearly 200 people gain the skills and hands-on experience needed for careers in the skilled trades.Labour Minister David Piccini said the expenditure is intended to give workers the training employers are seeking while supporting industries facing economic pressures..Major recipients include Mohawk College, which is receiving more than $2.6 million to modernize electrical, carpentry, automotive and millwright training at its Stoney Creek campus and to train 15 sheet metal workers.YWCA Hamilton will receive nearly $1.86 million to train 54 participants, primarily women and youth, for automotive service, autobody and welding roles. Ironworkers Local 736 is receiving more than $948,000 to build a new 7,000-square-foot training facility and purchase modern equipment, including overhead cranes.Smaller amounts will go to the YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford, the John Howard Society of Hamilton, United Association Local 67, the Canadian Elevator Industry Educational Program and the Finishing Trades Institute of Ontario for equipment upgrades and targeted pre-apprenticeship programs..The province says Ontario currently has more than 94,000 active apprentices, the highest number in more than a decade. Over the next decade, the government projects a need for more than 400,000 workers to fill skilled trades openings due to retirements and job growth, including thousands of millwrights, electricians, welders and ironworkers.Officials link the spending to the province’s broader infrastructure agenda, arguing a stronger domestic trades workforce is required to deliver housing, highways, hospitals and other projects.The announcement comes as the Ford government continues to emphasize skilled trades recruitment and training as a priority amid ongoing labour shortages across construction, manufacturing and industrial sectors.
