BRAMPTON, ONT. — A new apprenticeship pathway and an online job matching platform have been launched by the Ontario government in an effort to make it easier for young people to enter the skilled trades.
Building on the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), Ontario is creating a new stream, called Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST). It will allow students in Grades 11 and 12 to participate in more apprenticeship learning through additional co-operative education credits while completing high school. Graduates would receive a new seal on their Ontario Secondary School Diploma to signify successful completion of the program and recognize their dedication to learning in the skilled trades.
Ontario is also planning to make it easier to find apprenticeship opportunities by launching a new online job-matching portal for potential apprentices, journeypersons and employers to network and share opportunities. There is currently no dedicated provincial system to match potential apprentices with hiring employers or sponsors. A government-housed platform, developed in partnership with the private sector, would help streamline the process for potential apprentices to find interested sponsors, register and begin their training, adds the release.
Furthermore, the province is also proposing legislative measures to reduce barriers to apprenticeship training for workers who have prior professional experience but cannot meet certain academic entry requirements to register as an apprentice. According to the government, the policy would create alternative pathways for people interested in the skilled trades as a second career if they meet alternative criteria that may include minimum years out of high school and history of prior work experiences.
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