Niagara College and Niagara Homebuilders Association offering 80 participants free training to obtain drywall and roofing skills.
The Ontario government has announced a $1.2 million investment in skilled trades training in Niagara.
Niagara College and the Niagara Homebuilders Association are teaming up to train 80 unemployed or underemployed people for careers as roofing and drywall installers.
The announcement was made in Welland earlier today by Labour Minister Monte McNaughton and Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff.
We spoke to McNaughton, who says there is a significant shortage of skilled trades workers in the region.
"We know in the last twelve months in the region that there's been thousands of skilled trades jobs going unfilled. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we're really on a mission to get more people into the skilled trades."
Participants in the free program will receive training at the School of Trades at Niagara College, and can choose between pursuing drywall installation or roofing.
For eight weeks, students will learn all the tricks of their trade while taking course on health and safety, tools and techniques and more.
They will then transition to a six week paid job placement with a local employer.
Students will be supplied with $150 worth of tools, work boots and a hard hat.
Employers will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 per participant to offset wages.
"I really want parents and educators and young people to know that these are great, meaningful, lucrative careers," McNaughton says. "We all know people in the trades making six figures with pensions and benefits, and there are endless opportunities."
McNaughton estimates that by 2025, one in five jobs in Ontario will be in trades.
The project is being funded through the Ontario Skills Development Fund.
To apply for the program, contact Alicia Dimitrov-Lawrence at Alicia@nhba.ca or 905 646-6281.
The full interview with Monte McNaughton can be heard below.
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