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The Government of Ontario is launching the second round of its Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream, with over $74 million in available funding to build, expand and retrofit training facilities for workers in the trades, including construction, manufacturing technology and health care.
The Province also announced it is investing nearly $5 million from the first round of the SDF Capital Stream with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) to build a new crane training facility for over 1,600 workers in Barrie.
“With more than $74 million committed to training and workers across the province, this new round of funding through our Skills Development Fund Capital Stream will help thousands of additional Ontario workers find better jobs and bigger paycheques,” said Premier Doug Ford. “It’s especially great to be here in Oro-Medonte to announce nearly $5 million in support from the first round of funding and see first-hand how it’s making a difference in the lives of Ontario workers.”
Building on the success of the SDF Capital Stream announced in 2023, Ontario will open a second round on November 29, 2024, with an enhanced, streamlined application process that includes a new SEED pathway to help with the upfront costs of developing construction proposals, such as design drawings and technical plans.
“But with one in three tradespeople retiring over the coming years, we must pass on the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of workers. With a new, second round of our Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, we are going to kick Ontario’s training capacity into high-gear, training over one million workers for in-demand careers in every corner of Ontario,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
The announcement was made in Oro-Medonte, where the government is investing nearly $5 million in the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) to build a new crane training facility, led by the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO). The SDF Capital Stream investment from round one will help build a new crane training facility focused on training apprentices in mobile and tower crane operation, as well as heavy equipment. This modern and high-tech centre will include simulation labs, workshops and an outdoor training area for tower cranes, in addition to classrooms, offices and a cafeteria. This full-service training facility will train over 1,600 jobseekers – including youth, Indigenous peoples and newcomers – and foster innovation, while helping to build a talent pipeline for the construction industry in the region and across Ontario.
“This new $25 million training facility represents an investment not just in the future of IUOE Local 793, but also in the province of Ontario,” said Mike Gallagher, business manager, IUOE, Local 793. “As a union that represents more than 20,000 Operating Engineers and has invested more than $275 million in training since the 1990s, it is a pleasure to work with a government that has ambitious plans to rebuild Ontario and understands the need to develop a skilled workforce that can turn those plans into reality. With the help of this grant from the Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, our new facility will complement the training we already provide at our two world-class campuses in Oakville and Morrisburg. It will also allow us to offer even more young people a direct route into a secure, well-paid career as an Operating Engineer.”
“This award from the Ontario government’s Skills Development Fund Capital Stream will help us to dramatically increase our training capacity to more closely match the growing demand for skilled Operating Engineers. Once completed, our new facility will include the latest simulators, modern classrooms and state-of-art equipment that will create new opportunities for young people to enter the trade and put our members and apprentices on the pathway to success,” said Rick Kerr, executive director, OETIO. |
