The press release was issued on May 14, 2018 by the Ontario NDP on behalf of Sudbury riding candidate Jamie West and Nickel Belt candidate France Gélinas
Kathleen Wynne has failed Ontario apprentices and their employers, contributing to a skilled worker shortage and denying young people the opportunity to access good jobs.
In 2016, the auditor general gave a scathing review of the Wynne Liberals' record on apprenticeships. Fewer than half of those who start an apprenticeship in Ontario actually complete it.
Young people who go through the province-run Pre-Apprenticeship program fare even worse. Under the Liberal watch, just 25 to 33 per cent of participants who registered in the province-run Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program went on to become registered apprentices between 2010 and 2015.
Wynne had years to improve opportunities for apprentices, and she let students and employers down. And Doug Ford's answer to all economic issues – a tax cuts for the wealthiest people and companies – does not create a single trained tradesperson.
Only Andrea Horwath will get the job done and follow through on a plan to ensure people are able to get the training they need to fill the demand for skilled workers in Ontario.
An NDP Government will:
• Invest $57 million from the Jobs and Prosperity Fund to create opportunities in the trades
• Invest $180 billion in infrastructure over the next decade
• Give more experience to Ontario apprentices by expanding Community Benefit Agreements, making them integral to all infrastructure projects
• Focus on bringing more women and equity-seeking groups into skilled trades
