The Ontario Masonry Training Centre has received $3 million from the federal government to help bricklayers develop sustainable building practices.

The project will develop a guide for Red Seal bricklayers to create and implement a green training program. The training will also help bricklayers refresh and adjust existing masonry buildings.

“Canada’s unionized skilled trades are essential to meeting our national infrastructure and housing goals,” said David Stubbs, the centre’s executive director. “The Government of Canada’s continued investment in skilled trades training is vital to attracting the next generation of workers and ensuring today’s workforce is trained to handle the latest materials, technologies and construction practices.”

Funding for the project comes from the Union Training and Innovation Program’s Sustainable Jobs stream under the Government’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy.

Starting in 2025–2026, the UTIP Sustainable Jobs stream is expected to support approximately 29,000 workers in the Red Seal trades over five years.

The federal government estimates that by 2033, there will be more than 410,000 job openings for skilled trades in the construction sector alone—including 189,000 from retirement.