SUDBURY— The Ontario government is investing over $1 million in two projects that will provide free training in construction to 645 people in Northern Ontario, prioritizing those from remote First Nations and Indigenous communities.
These projects will prepare participants for in-demand jobs in the construction sector, including heavy equipment operator and electrical trades, addressing a skilled trades shortage in the local workforce.
“We’re seeing strong job growth across the province, and the North is no exception. There are thousands of well-paying and rewarding jobs in the resource sector just waiting to be filled by people with the right skills,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “These projects will connect people with the training they need to restart their careers, earn bigger paycheques for their families and boost development in Northern Ontario’s resource sector.”
This investment includes $582,000 for NORCAT to train 20 participants with the skills and safety training to operate machinery to build roads, move minerals and harvest forests. Trainees will receive free in-class and hands-on training over a period of five-to-six weeks at NORCAT’s forest and mining operations in Thunder Bay, with free lodging and transportation to and from their training site.
Additionally, Ontario is investing $467,500 for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1687 (IBEW 1687) to develop a virtual training centre to teach 625 electrical workers across remote Northern and First Nations communities. Funding will support the purchase of audio visual (A/V) equipment and development of an online curriculum so that workers can receive safety and equipment training, leadership development and business skills to upgrade their skills in careers including powerline technicians, network cabling specialists, electrical apprentices and journeypersons. Classes will be live-streamed and videotaped for workers without high-speed internet.
The funding comes as part of the government’s $115 million Skills Development Fund to address challenges to hiring, training and retraining workers and apprentices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quick Facts
- NORCAT’s training program will be offered from September 13 to December 3, 2021. To apply, contact NORCAT’s Thunder Bay office at 855-966-7228, ext. 324
- IBEW 1687 will offer training beginning in November 1, 2021. To apply, contact Chase Beaudoin, Market Development Manager at 249-878-0227 or chase@ibew1687.org
- The average hourly wage for an industrial electrician in Ontario was $35.47 in 2020. The average hourly wage for a heavy equipment operator (excluding crane operators) was $31.35.
- In the first quarter of 2021, there were 13,380 job vacancies in the construction sector in Ontario, up from 11,075 in the first quarter of 2020.
- The unemployment rate for Northern Ontario was 7.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2021 compared to 10.3 per cent in the same period in 2020.
- In 2020, the unemployment rate for Indigenous people in Ontario was 12.5 per cent compared with 9.5 per cent for non-Indigenous people. These unemployment rates were up from 9.7 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively in 2019.
- Mining and forestry are important sources of employment in the province. Ontario’s mining sector (excluding support services) employed about 20,000 people on average in 2020. The forestry sector employed an average of 4,100 people in 2020 across Ontario.
- Ontario’s Skills Development Fund is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario.
