New boot camps aim to bring more people into skilled trades
The Ontario government has delivered $4 million in funding for a series of one-day boot camps aimed at encouraging youth to join the skilled trades.
The program, which is being delivered through Support Ontario Youth, is designed 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.
“There are many rewarding, well-paid opportunities in the skilled trades and there will be even more in the coming years as more tradespeople retire and jobs grow,” said Labour, Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton. “This great project will offer over two thousand young people an opportunity to get basic skills and form valuable connections in skilled trades that open doors to apprenticeships and meaningful careers.”
The provincial funding will help deliver 70 one-day boot camps in more than 25 communities across Ontario, including Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Chatham and Sault Ste. Marie. The Tools in the Trades Boot Camps will target three groups of participants: Grade 12 students who have an interest in the skilled trades, people who lost their job during COVID-19, and people looking to start new careers, with a special focus on Indigenous youth, racialized groups, women and newcomers.
The camps will run between September 2021 and March 2022. Participants will gain experience working with tools, writing resumes and interviewing. They will also have an opportunity to speak with businesses in the skilled trades sector. Each will also be given a $250-basic set of tools to use during the training.
The province also expects that 500 employers and industry associations, and 300 education and training providers will be involved in the project.
“Our youth today will soon be standing where we are tomorrow. It is up to us to ensure they have access to as many opportunities as possible, so they may guide their own futures,” said Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls. “Our government’s investment will allow many youths and vulnerable adults opportunities for basic training in the skilled jobs field. We know communities have been hit hard by COVID-19 and this is one of the many ways our government is meeting the predicted demand for skilled trades people when things eventually return back to normal.”
Anyone wanting to be considered for the boot camp must fill out a questionnaire on the Support Ontario Youth website. Software on the site will help determine applicants’ compatibility with their selected trades.
The Support Ontario Youth program 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.
It is part of Ontario’s $115 million Skills Development Fund, which supports new ideas for training and skills development.