Conestoga pre-apprenticeship program gets funding boost from province
The Government of Ontario has announced an investment of more than a quarter million dollars into a pre-apprenticeship training program at Conestoga College in Waterloo Region.
Cambridge MPP Brian Riddell announced the funding.
“Ontario skilled trades are vital to the health and growth of the economy, offering careers that lead to secure jobs and a good quality of life,” he said. “Partnerships with our community colleges will greatly assist employers and those in our community in search of work.”
The $269,010 investment at Conestoga has allowed 20 students to participate in a general carpenter program. The 29-week course is delivered at the Cambridge and Waterloo campuses.
The funding announced is part of the government’s nearly $1.5-billion investment in the Skilled Trades Strategy. These initiatives build on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support and protect workers, making Ontario the best place in the world to work, live and raise a family.
Ontario’s construction industry will need to hire almost 100,000 additional workers due to retirements and job growth by 2026.