HAMILTON, ONT. — Ontario Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton and Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues were at the Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 837 in Hamilton, Ont. recently to announce that the government is investing an additional $21 million in pre-apprenticeship training programs for up to 2,000 people.
The programs are open to at-risk youth, new Canadians, Indigenous people and women and aim to help them gain hands-on experience to pursue careers in the skilled trades. Eligible organizations can apply for the funding now. The call for proposals ends Jan. 5, 2021.
Pre-apprenticeship training programs last up to one year and combines classroom training with an eight- to 12-week work placement. Last year the program helped train 1,800 people in 91 programs across the province, including 11 in Hamilton.
Training is free for participants and always includes a paid work placement, indicates a release, adding eligible union and non-union training centres, colleges, employment agencies and other community organizations are invited to submit training proposals.
LIUNA Local 837 received about $106,000 last year to provide pre-apprenticeship training for 12 participants in construction craft worker and cement finishing trades, adds the release.
“Today’s announcement highlights critical funding to continue building a highly skilled, inclusive workforce, while transitioning out of precarious work and into middle-class income,” said Joseph Mancinelli, LIUNA International vice-president and regional manager of Central and Eastern Canada, in a statement.
The Province should put more concentration on the original Trades Workers Apprenticeships, such as Carpenters, Plumbers, Millwrights and Electricians plus many more that build safe homes and Industry complexes. We will see what the outcome in London Ontario was recently when a new building floor collapse pour of fresh concrete ended the lives of young workers, where was the Provincial Inspection of formwork before the pour began by building inspectors.