ANALYSIS: Ontario's $1B skills training fund well-timed amid job bonanza
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The province is investing in training workers and bettering their skills just as London and region will be hit with a massive demand for workers starting next year, area employment agencies say.
The just-unveiled Ontario budget pledged $1 billion in new money for a host of programs aimed at getting more workers on the job, especially in the area of skilled trades, and retraining those already working – support experts say is badly needed.
“We have to get better at getting people up to speed with skilled trades,” said Lisa Rusal, manager of employment services at Fanshawe College, an office that helps students and others find work. “The capacity in the sector needs to be pumped up. It’s a key area.”
The funding announced in the budget targets skills gaps and offers incentives to workers to become skilled. “Any support and policy that gets people (more skilled) and addresses the skills mismatch will be beneficial,” Rusal said.
In 2023, London and region is expected to add a 2,000-job Amazon plant, as well as a 1,500 worker Maple Leaf Foods plant, in addition to a host of smaller businesses opening or expanding here. There easily are more than 4,000 new jobs that will need to be filled.
The Ontario government is investing $1 billion annually in employment and training programs to help people retrain and upgrade their skills. That investment includes:
- An additional $114.4 million during three years supporting skilled trades, including apprentice support programs and even helping new workers buy their first tools.
- An additional $268.5-million during three years to revamp Employment Ontario, an agency that matches workers with employers, and guides workers to specific retraining programs.
- Relaunching the second-career program as Better Jobs Ontario with $5 million in new funding. This program has received about $200 million during the last three years. Better Jobs Ontario helps laid-off, unemployed workers get training for jobs that are in-demand.
- Helping newcomers with an additional $15.1 million during three years in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which nominates applicants for permanent residence status if they have skills and experience.
Pathways Employment Help Centre in London is getting $209,000 to develop a skills training program to teach carpentry and cabinet making.
“It’s essential to home building and home renovation, where there’s a skills shortage,” said Paul Hubert, chief executive of Pathways. “We welcome the investments in workforce development. All employers are experiencing shortages.”
Carol Stewart manages the Employment Sector Council office in London, which works with various employment agencies. She said it’s well known all skilled trades are in demand, but employers also are looking for general labourers and unskilled workers they can train on the job.
“This investment in skills training and development is positive. It’s needed to give job seekers an opportunity to upgrade their skills so they have talent and expertise area employers are looking for,” Stewart said.
Stewart has met with Maple Leaf officials and Amazon also has reached out and they’re interested in working with all London area employment agencies to help meet their demand for workers, she said. “The labour shortage is across the board, but we are seeing larger employers focus their efforts.”
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