Province commits $3.7M to training for First Nations community members
The Ontario government says it will spend more than $3.7 million to train 110 members of several Northern Ontario First Nations communities to work on a major provincial infrastructure project.
The project to twin Highway 17 involves widening the highway from two to four lanes between the Manitoba-Ontario border and Kenora—a stretch of about 50 kilometres. Between 5,000 and 7,500 vehicles travel the stretch of road each day. The expansion, says the province, will reduce traffic and travel times, increase road safety and boost the local economy.
Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton announced the funding on November 9. The money will be used to train members of Treaty #3 First Nations communities in such trades as construction craft workers, heavy equipment operators, general construction workers, and concrete workers. Some of these jobs pay as high as $44 an hour.
The training investment provides each participant with up to $3,000 to cover costs such as transportation, childcare, and other expenses that could act as barriers to participation.
“Our province faces a severe shortage of skilled workers, with tens of thousands of jobs in construction going unfilled daily,” said McNaughton. “Many of these jobs pay six figures, with pension and benefits. Today’s investment will give First Nations people in Northern Ontario the training and skills they need to open the door to these meaningful career opportunities, helping build better lives for themselves and their loved ones.”
This project will be of primary benefit to members of four Kenora area First Nations in Treaty 3 territory, represented by the Niiwin Wendaanimok communities. It will prioritize people who are unemployed, underemployed, or at risk of losing their jobs. The communities involved include Washagamis Bay First Nation, Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, Wauzhusk Onigum First Nation, and Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation.
“Our government is once again demonstrating its commitment to supporting the skilled trades while promoting inclusion and opportunities in Indigenous communities,” said Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford. “Today’s investments will help to further bridge the opportunity gap for Indigenous workers, their families, and their communities. This project will be a game changer for many of Kenora’s Indigenous peoples who can now look forward to a more prosperous, secure future.”
Large construction projects in the Kenora region often rely on the use of outside labour. This has left many First Nations people without the skills and work experience to qualify for these jobs when they are available in the area.
The government announcement will address the skills gap some First Nations members face by providing participants with a variety of free training programs, including secondary school upgrading, driver’s education, workplace safety and certification and skills training needed for the Highway 17 and other projects.
The training runs until July 2023.
Ontario’s construction industry employed about 500,000 people or 7.3 percent of the province’s total workforce in 2020. In the second quarter of 2021, the industry reported 20,895 job vacancies.