Move offers financial incentives to businesses for training new hires
The Ontario government is investing more than $24 million this year to the Achievement Incentive program in a bid make it easier for employers to take on new apprentices. The program "supports employers, including those in group sponsor arrangements, by providing a financial incentive when apprentices meet specific training and certification milestones," according to the government in its website.
"The program encourages apprentice training progression, completion, and trade certification through milestone payments to businesses of up to $17,000 per apprentice," it said in its announcement.
The additional budget to be injected this year will bring its total funding to $49 million and will support the government's latest string of initiatives that aim to support more people into skilled trades and address the labour shortage.
In its latest announcement, the Ontario government said it is investing $1.5 million in three Thunder Bay training projects to get more people into skilled trades. Two of the pre-apprenticeship training projects are run by Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS) with the Carpenters Union
Local 1669 and Confederation College. They will receive $28 million worth of funding from the government so they can introduce participants to general carpentry as well as the basics of welding and electrical trades.
"This initiative will provide First Nation citizens the stepping stones required to build skills and gain the knowledge needed to realize their career goals in the trades. It's important that AETS continues to provide training programs which meet the needs of the First Nation communities," said John DeGiacomo, executive director of the AETS.
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"Our government is proud to bring these purpose-driven careers within reach for more Indigenous communities in the North, and for more young people across our province to help tackle our historic labour shortage," Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said.
These initiatives come as the province faces recruitment challenges amid a tight labour market. The provincial government said approximately 350,000 jobs are going unfilled across the province, with over 21,000 of them in Northern Ontario. One in five job openings in the province is also expected to be in the skilled trades by 2025, according to the government.
