The Ontario government has announced two separate funding packages for post-secondary apprenticeship training in the skilled trades.

On September 19, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced the province would invest $375,000 to boost apprenticeship training at Canadore College in North Bay.

“This investment will go towards attracting and retaining more students at Canadore College while delivering an essential curriculum on the General Machinist Apprenticeship Program,” Fedeli said.

The investment will help people train as machinists. Canadore College has collaborated with its program advisory committee to develop strategies that meet industry standards.

“Canadore College is helping to address the shortage of highly skilled trades people in Ontario,” said college President and CEO George Burton. “The students in our trades programs graduate with the latest skills and are ready to go to work immediately. This funding support will help us to train machinists on the latest CNC equipment. This investment is another step helping to address the skills shortage gap.”

On September 20, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers announced the government was investing $245,000 to enhance apprenticeship training at Georgian College.

The money will go towards the purchase of modern electromechanical trainer stations and electrical equipment to improve the classroom experience for three levels of the electrician construction and industrial electrician programs.

“This investment will allow apprentices to train on industry-level technology and gain the necessary training to prepare them for fulfilling and well-paying careers in skilled trades,” said Byers.

This funding is part of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s $24 million investment in the Apprenticeship Capital Grant program, which helps improve and modernize equipment and training facilities that support hands-on learning for students and apprentices.

“The province’s investment in upgrades to Georgian’s electrical training equipment will have an immediate and lasting impact on the workforce in the region,” said Kevin Weaver, Georgian’s President and CEO. “Georgian is well-poised to help fill the skilled trades gap in the region and funding such as this is integral to that work.”