Province to allow students to transition to apprenticeship programs beginning in Grade 11
The Ontario government is making young workers’ paths into the construction sector easier.
On March 8, Premier Doug Ford, Labour Minister Monte McNaughton and Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that the province would change regulations to allow students in Grade 11 to transition to full-time, skilled trades apprenticeship programs, and complete their secondary school diplomas once they earn their apprenticeship certificates.
The change would allow the Ministry of Education to recognize up to 30 credits required to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma for individuals with a Certificate of Apprenticeship or equivalent.
The government hopes it will enable more students will be able to enter the trades faster than ever before, and help to ease historic labour shortages.
“These changes provide students with exciting pathways to good-paying jobs and rewarding careers and support our government’s ongoing work to attract more young people into the skilled trades,” said Ford. “Whether it’s enhancing trades education in our schools, breaking down barriers for newcomers or upskilling workers, we’re leaving no stone unturned to train the skilled workforce that will build Ontario.”
The construction sector alone requires 72,000 new workers by 2027 to fill open positions because of retirements and expected job growth. To help deliver the province’s infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031, more people are needed in the skilled trades.
More than 1.2 million people work Ontario’s 140 skilled trades. Many of them are set to retire over the coming years.
“For far too long, parents and students have been told the only path to succeed in life is by going to university, which is simply not true,” said McNaughton. “When you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life. Our government will continue to provide students with the tools they need to land well-paying and life-long careers.”
The government also says it will begin consultations in the fall with employers, unions, education stakeholders, trainers, parents, and others about ways to make it even easier for young people to enter a career in the trades. This includes the potential of lowering entry requirements for some of the 106 skilled trades that currently require a grade 12-level education.
"Young Ontarians who are contemplating their future career options should know that working in the construction trades by starting a registered apprenticeship on track towards becoming a Journeyperson can offer a lifetime of opportunity and prosperity,” said Marc Arsenault, Business Manager and Secretary-Treasurer with the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. “Meeting growing demand for skilled construction labour in order to secure Ontario’s housing and infrastructure needs will demand better attraction and retention of apprentices. Jobsite health and safety is best ensured through apprenticeship training and today’s announcement can bring us a step closer towards securing the next generation of safe and productive construction trades professionals."
Recently, there were nearly 285,000 jobs in Ontario going unfilled, while about one in five job openings in Ontario are projected to be in the skilled trades by 2026.