The Ontario government has provided $1.5 million through the Training Stream of its Skills Development Fund (SDF) to fund an Ontario Home Builders Association (OHBA) project that aims to train 100 home builders.

The association’s Futures Faster program will train 100 mentors in leadership and specialized areas such as building code changes and emerging technologies.

Once trained, mentors will be matched with mentees — including recent graduates and those at risk of job displacement. Mentors will provide training and career advice to mentees, helping them complete up to two credentials in high-demand areas such as resilient construction, new 18-storey mass timber regulations and radon mitigation practices.

"The OHBA Futures Faster program is innovative because it is open to workers across all aspects of the residential construction industry – from builders and renovators to tradespeople to the behind-the-scenes professionals who ensure that homes are built,” said OHBA CEO Scott Andison. “We are grateful that the province saw the value in this program and are providing support to upskill workers and ensure that Ontario has the skilled labour workforce we need to continue building communities."

Since its launch in 2021, the province has invested $1.5 billion through the SDF Training Stream and Capital Stream to help train more than one million workers for in-demand careers.

It topped up the fund with a further $1 billion in its 2025 budget.

The province estimates there were more than 10,500 jobs going unfilled in Ontario’s construction sector in the second quarter of 2025.