The Ontario government has pledged more than $13 million to support nine projects that will provide free training and paid electricians’ apprenticeships to more than 2,500 people across the province.

The announcement, which was made on March 15 by Labour Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton, is aimed at bringing people into a trade which is in critical need of workers. The province has more than $2 billion worth of projects on the books, including schools and hospitals, all of which require electricians’ expertise.

“When you have a job as an electrician, you have an in-demand job for life,” said McNaughton. “I continue to hear from students and parents who don’t know how to enter this incredible field – which can pay over $50 an hour. That is why our government is investing over $1.5 billion in programs like this, which break down barriers and connect young people to life-changing careers in the skilled trades.”

Approximately $6.4 million worth of the funding is being allocated to the Ontario Electrical Industry Training Trust Fund, which will launch two projects aimed at increasing apprenticeship registrations for the network cabling specialist apprenticeship program, and to encourage more employers to hire apprentices and promote the electrical trades to underrepresented populations.

The training focuses on safety, best practices for installation, and other skills crucial skills for electricians.

“This funding announcement will help apprentices access the best training possible to address the growing need by employers for Network Cabling Specialists,” said James Barry, Executive Secretary Treasurer, IBEW CCO. “As technology continues to evolve, this in-demand trade not only provides a fulfilling career for young people and underrepresented populations, but their skills will be critical to helping build and sustain Ontario’s infrastructure well into the future.”

The National Electrical Trade Council will receive nearly $4.2 million for two projects to help the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) upskill 1,050 electricians across the province.

The first project provides access to electric vehicle charging stations for certified electricians and late-term apprentices at all IBEW training centres across Ontario. The second will allow IBEW training centres to deliver virtual reality training to electrical apprentices and journeypersons beginning this spring.

The IBEW Local 120 in London, meanwhile, will receive more than $1.6 million for two projects. The first will train 150 people on basic workplace knowledge in the electrical trades and general construction work in the Chippewas of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware First Nations.

The second project sees local 120 provide advanced training and continuing education to 260 registered apprentices or journeypersons on emerging technologies in the electrical trade.

IBEW Local 1687 in Sudbury will receive $467,500 to provide online skills training to 625 registered apprentices in remote Northern regions, including First Nations communities. The online training will help to address barriers that can prevent people in northern communities from pursuing electrical training by making it free of charge and easily accessible from any location in the province.

IBEW Local 105 in Hamilton will receive $303,000 to train 40 electricians through the Welding Recruitment and Retention Program.

Finally, IBEW Local 402’s Training and Education Centre in Thunder Bay will receive $230,000 to provide free training and paid work placements to underrepresented groups to address the skills shortage in the electrical industry.

The funding investments are being provided through the province’s $200-million Skills Development Fund, which funds training projects that upskill workers and connect them to lucrative careers in their communities.