Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) has a new leader.

The Ontario government announced on November 1 that it has appointed Candice White as the new Chief Executive Officer of the organization, effective November 25.

White replaces outgoing CEO Melissa Young, and will continue to deliver on STO’s mandate to grow Ontario's skilled trades workforce, promote the trades as a career of choice, and modernize services to Ontario’s over 1.3 million skilled tradespeople and apprentices.

She brings over a decade of executive level experience, including serving as the Chief Administrative Officer for multiple municipalities, most recently the Municipality of Port Hope, and on boards of provincial agencies. Within these roles, she has a long track record of success managing organizations at a similar size and breadth as STO, and will bring her strong executive leadership to the organization.

“It’s an honour to be appointed as the CEO for Skilled Trades Ontario,” said White. “I look forward to working with STO’s Board, its talented workforce and tradespeople across Ontario as we continue to modernize service delivery and advance world-class certification standards for our registered skilled tradespeople and apprentices – and the countless more Ontarians seeking to start their career in the skilled trades.”

“On behalf of Premier Doug Ford and the province, I would like to thank Melissa Young for her leadership and dedication to building a stronger future for Ontario and wish her the best as she moves on to new endeavours,” said Labour Minister David Piccini. “As a results-oriented change leader, Melissa took the helm of STO as a new organization in its infancy after the lost years of the Ontario College of Trades, bringing our shared vision to life and stands as an inspiration to tradespeople everywhere, especially women.”

Young was appointed CEO of STO in January 2022. Under her leadership, the organization launched Standards Industry Advisory Committees, Certificates of Qualification and wallet cards for skilled trades professionals, released a guiding strategic plan, enabled research to ascertain public perceptions of the trades, and established an Exam Support Unit to help clients as they advance through the apprentice to journeyperson pathway.

Ontario has over 1.3 million workers in skilled trades related occupations, including over 102,000 active apprentices in the skilled trades. The province is expected to need over 500,000 additional workers in the skilled trades over the next decade.