The recent announcement of the 2020 Ontario Government Budget includes funds to address COVID-19 employment recovery through the training and retraining of skilled trades.
According to the Ontario Budget website, Ontario’s Skilled Trades Strategy includes three pillars: Breaking the Stigma, Simplifying the System, and Encouraging Employer Participation. Breaking the Stigma includes several key initiatives introduced by the Province to attract and train youth in the skilled trades including funding for the Ontario Youth Apprentices and Skills Ontario, and Ontario’s Pre-Apprenticeship Training program. Simplifying the System is designed to provide easier access to grants, support, and training. It aims to remove obstacles for apprentices beginning their careers and will fund a digital portal for support and training. Encouraging Employer Participation involves increasing employer participation through sponsoring and hiring apprentices.
This budget will also include funding to support the Second Careers program, giving faster access to those who were laid off due to COVID-19. The redesign of this program will also focus on short-duration training and digitizing the application process.
We hosted MPP Mike Harris, MPP Stan Cho, and MPP Amy Fee, along with Mayor Sandy Shantz to hear more about the Government of Ontario’s 2020 budget.
Visit the Budget Ontario Website to learn more.
