CORNWALL, Ontario – The province is providing funding to a program aimed at getting more young Ontarians into skilled trades.
The SkillsAdvance Ontario project aims at introducing 30 job seekers find work in a trade in Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry. The province is providing $254,779 to support the program, which will be delivered by the Eastern Ontario Training Board (EOTB).
“This project is good news for people and businesses in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry,” said Jim McDonell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “This funding helps employers to train the skilled workers they need for their business and create job opportunities for people from the region. Everybody wins.”
The 12-week program will be run in a series of three cohorts of 10 students. Recruitment for the first cohort is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, with all three cohorts scheduled to conclude by the end of February 2022.
“This training program will include two weeks of sector-focused recruitment; two weeks of sector-focused pre-employment services; three weeks of essential and technical skills training and five weeks of employment services. All participants will receive retention and advancement services and ongoing case management until the conclusion of the initiative,” reads a statement from the province of Ontario.
EOTB Executive Director Martha Woods explained that this program will fill a pressing need in the region.
“68% of local employers surveyed identified labour market shortages and the lack of youth entering skilled trades as the most pressing issue impacting skilled trades. Employers pointed to a lack of interest in skilled trades as the greatest cause of labour market shortages. The goal of the Eastern Ontario Training Board along with our partners, through SkillsAdvance Ontario funding, is to connect unemployed youth and youth not currently participating in the labour market with opportunities in skilled trades,” Woods said.
