Ontario is spending $3.6 million on three projects to get more than 2,200 women and young people involved in the construction trades.
Led by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO), these programs will focus on increasing female participation in the industry, providing online training tools and exclusive employment opportunities to jobseekers, and giving Grade 12 students a first-hand look at life-changing careers in construction.
And what’s more, the programs are offered at no cost.
Women make up less than five per cent of Ontario’s construction workforce, the province said. That is why the first PBCTO project will help 700 tradeswomen get the training they need to start and advance careers in the industry.
It will also include the development of a speaker’s bureau to partner tradeswomen with speaking opportunities with schools, employment agencies, trade shows and other events across the province to mentor and attract more women into the skilled trades,” the province said.
“These projects, while all unique, together focus on developing the workforce of the future and expanding opportunities within the skilled trades for equity-seeking groups,” said Marc Arsenault, Business Manager at PBCTCO. “As we move forward, this investment supports a fact-based approach to workforce development that will create opportunities for more Ontarians to embark on a great career to build the province we live in.”
The second project will provide 1,500 people with access to online resources and training tools where they can explore the skilled trades, build core skills and find apprenticeship opportunities in their profession of choice, connecting them directly with local employers.
Additionally, PBCTCO’s Tomorrow’s Trades program is returning to provide 60 Grade 12 students in London and Ottawa with hands-on learning opportunities, behind-the-scenes access to high-profile construction projects and training so they can prepare for life-changing jobs in the industry. The program, which prioritizes at-risk youth, has previously run in Toronto, Hamilton, Sudbury, and other parts of the province. Transportation and training costs will be provided for students.
These projects are funded through the government’s Skills Development Fund.
Jobs of the Future is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
