The Ontario government announced plans to expands its Level Up! career fairs this year, bringing the event to more cities with the aim of doubling the number of students who participate.

Premier Doug Ford, Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton, and Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the news on August 31.

This year’s fairs are scheduled to take place between September 19 and November 29. The events kick off in Thunder Bay, and feature stops in Sudbury, London, Mississauga and Ottawa. Hamilton, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie, Oshawa and Dryden are new additions to the tour.

“Last year’s career fairs were a phenomenal success, giving thousands of students and their families exposure to the many career opportunities in the skilled trades,” said Ford. “As we make historic investments to build roads, transit, hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure, these expanded fairs will help us attract more young people into the trades and develop the skilled workforce our growing province needs.”

The Level Up! fairs highlight Ontario’s 144 skilled trades. More than 25,000 students in grades 7 to 12, as well as parents and jobseekers, will have the opportunity to learn about these trades through interactive exhibitions and hands-on activities while hearing directly from tradespeople and local employers.

Last year’s fairs attracted more than 12,800 visitors.

The government says the need for the fairs is even greater than ever, with Ontario needing more than 100,000 new skilled trades workers this decade to help build the province.

It estimates that 1.2 million people were working in skilled trades-related occupations in Ontario in 2022. However, about one in three workers in Ontario with an apprenticeship or trade certificate is aged 55 or over and nearing retirement.

One in five new job openings in Ontario will be in the skilled trades by 2025.

“In an ever-changing global economy, we are seizing the opportunity to inspire students with hands-on learning in the skilled trades and increasing pathways to apprenticeship that better connect students to good-paying jobs,” said Lecce. “Our priority is to keep students in stable and normal classrooms, benefiting from a focus on strengthening foundational skills on reading, writing, math. This is supported by expanded career fairs and a new mandatory requirement that all students take at least one technological education course starting next year, so that students graduate into fulfilling careers of the jobs of tomorrow.”

The province also announced it would invest $24 million through its Apprenticeship Capital Grant program to help 66 training institutions across Ontario upgrade their training equipment and existing facilities that support hands-on learning for students and apprentices.

This year’s Level Up! fairs are scheduled as follows:

Thunder Bay – September 19 & 20

Sault Ste Marie – September 27 & 28

Sudbury – October 3 & 4

Dryden – October 17

Hamilton – October 17 & 18

Windsor – October 25 & 26

London – November 1 & 2

Mississauga – November 15 & 16

Oshawa – November 21 & 22

Ottawa – November 28 & 29