The Ontario government has announced that it intends to add a further $100 million in funding to its Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream.

The province says the funding is intended to protect Ontario workers in the face of potential American tariffs on Canadian goods. The new funding brings the total provincial investment in SDF to $1.5 billion.

The investment will support workers in fields including manufacturing, construction, critical mineral extraction and other skilled trades.

The Ontario and U.S. economies are highly integrated with nearly one in five Ontario jobs dependent on trade with the United States, and approximately $400 billion in merchandise traveling between the two jurisdictions every year.

The government says its latest investment in the Skills Development Fund will help Ontario businesses remain competitive, and ensure workers gain in-demand skills and practical, hands-on experience to adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing global labour market.

More than 500,000 workers are expected to be needed to fill job openings in skilled trades-related occupations in Ontario over the next decade.

“This commitment will help ensure workers in Ontario’s forestry sector—and across the province—are equipped with the skills and training needed to thrive in an increasingly competitive global market,” said Ian Dunn, President & CEO of the Ontario Forest Industries Association.

Following a call for proposals for the SDF Training Stream valued at $260 million that was announced in July 2024, the Ontario government received applications totalling over $1.1 billion.

The province says the additional $100-million investment will fund more projects than originally planned to support major industries and sectors expected to grow or face pressures from potential U.S. tariffs.