Ontario Investing $345,500 to Support Workers in Toronto

Skills Development Fund investing in finding win-win solutions to child care barriers for apprentices and journeypersons in the skilled trades

TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing $345,500 through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) in finding win-win solutions to childcare barriers for apprentices and journeypersons to train workers in Toronto for in-demand careers in the skilled trades. This latest round of funding brings Ontario’s total investment through the Skills Development Fund to up to $1.4 billion.

“Under Premier Ford, our government has an ambitious plan to build Ontario: from new housing that families can call home, to highways and public transit connecting our communities, and clean energy projects powering our economy. But after years of neglect and under-investment in the trades from previous Liberal governments, one in three tradespeople are nearing retirement,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “That’s why we’re partnering with local employers, unions, and educators to pass on the expertise and wisdom of the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of students, apprentices, and workers who will build Ontario’s bright future.”

In partnership with the Labourer’s International Union of North America Local 506 and Medow Consulting, the Ontario government is investing $345,500 to target barriers such as childcare access, conducting research and developing prototype toolkits for employers, labour, the childcare sector, government, and skilled tradespeople to improve access and sustain the skilled trades workforce.

“Our government recognizes that childcare barriers are a significant challenge for many workers in the skilled trades,” said Michael Parsa, MPP for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill. “Addressing these challenges through an investment of $345,500 is about supporting families while building a stronger, more resilient workforce that can meet the demands of our growing economy.”

Through the SDF, the government is investing up to $1.4 billion through SDF’s Training Stream and the Capital Stream which are designed to recruit, train and upskill workers and build or upgrade training centres for the skilled trades. 

Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s Skills Development Fund has helped connect approximately 600,000 workers train or upskill for careers in the trades in their local communities, including over 92,000 manufacturing workers, over 66,000 construction workers, over 36,000 PSWs and healthcare workers, and over 27,000 mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction workers.

Quick Facts

  • Ontario’s $224 million SDF Capital Stream was launched by Premier Ford in June 2023.
  • People interested in participating in the programs announced today are encouraged to contact the lead organizations of the projects directly.
  • The Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund is exclusively funded by the Government of Ontario.
  • The Training Stream of the Skills Development Fund is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
  • As the Government of Canada has unilaterally cut over $230 million annually from Ontario’s Labour Market Transfer Agreements, which support employment and settlement service programs, Ontario continues to call for the federal government to reinstate this critical funding for Ontario workers and jobseekers.

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