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Ontario invests $83M in upskilling for construction, other industries

Ontario is investing $83 million in training projects that help to upskill construction craft and industrial workers.

The province is now accepting proposals for this second round of funding in the Skills Development Fund and is expanding eligibility to allow a wider range of organizations to apply.

The new investment includes $334,487 for the LiUNA LiUNA Local 506 Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ont. to give 8,000 of the members of Local 506 as well as construction craft worker apprentices free access to online skills and safety courses workers through LinkedIn Learning.

Indigenous skills and employment training centres, Indigenous Band offices, social service administration boards, municipal employment providers, hospitals and other organizations are all encouraged to apply to the fund. This funding can also be used to cover a wider range of financial supports for trainees, including expenses for transit and child care.

Organizations applying for the second round of the Skills Development Fund can also receive funding to accommodate trainees and workers with disabilities. This includes travel costs for people who require mobility support, including site-to-site job travel for both participants and support persons.

Employers can receive up to $5,000 per job placement if they support a trainee with a disability. Project proposals will be given special consideration if they can clearly show how they will support post-secondary and high school graduates with disabilities or those experiencing mental health challenges.

Projects will be approved until no funding is available, or until the province’s fiscal year ends on Mar. 31, 2022. Interested organizations can apply through Transfer Payment Ontario.

Apprentices and workers who want to participate in LiUNA Local 506’s projects can contact Merissa Preston, Partnership and Business Development at LiUNA Local 506, at Mpreston@506tc.org.

Total investment in the Skills Development Fund now amounts to over $200 million. The first round provided funding for 150 projects that helped 260,000 workers gain new skills.