Ontario Introduces New Project Aimed to Help Youth Explore Careers in the Skilled Trades
June 15, 2021 | By Logan Caswell
Approximately 70 one-day boot camps will take place in communities that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ontario government has announced the investment of roughly $4-million through Support Ontario Youth to help up to 2,100 young people access training and networking opportunities to become future electricians, plumbers, millwrights, automotive service technicians and horticulture technicians.
Approximately 70 one-day boot camps will take place in communities that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic to provide youth with hands-on training, resume writing help and introductions to prospective employers in the industrial, construction, motive power and service sectors.
From September 2021 to March, 2022, Support Youth Ontario will run “Tools in the Trades Boot Camps,” targeting three groups of participants:
- Grade 12 students who have an interest in the skilled trades
- People who lost their job during COVID-19
- People looking to start a new career in a growing sector or industry, with a special focus on Indigenous youth, racialized groups, women and newcomers.
Youth from more than 25 communities across Ontario, including Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Chatham and Sault Ste. Marie will gain experience working with tools, writing resumes and interviewing. Each participant will get to keep a $250 basic set of tools to use during the training.
Close to 500 employers and 300 education and training providers will be involved in the project.
This initiative aligns with the province’s Skilled Trades Strategy, which supports economic development by breaking the stigma of the skilled trades, simplifying the apprenticeship system and encouraging businesses to hire more apprentices.
The initiative is part of Ontario’s $115 million Skills Development Fund, designed to support fresh ideas for training and skills development.
