The Ontario government is spending more than $7 million to bring more training opportunities to northern Ontario amid what it’s calling a “critical shortage” of ironworkers and welders.
David Piccini, Ontario minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development, made the announcement Wednesday in Thunder Bay at Ironworkers Local 759 alongside Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland.
The money, which comes from Ontario’s Skills Development Fund Training Stream, will support eight training projects across the region. The programs aim to create training opportunities for 1,700 people, with a special focus on getting Indigenous people into the trades.
At Thunder Bay’s Ironworkers branch, that means 100 workers and job seekers can attend a one-year training program to upgrade their skills.
“Currently, we’re sending our guys, our apprentices to Sault Ste. Marie, which is a seven-hour drive. It’s a dangerous highway,” said Ironworkers Local 759 business manager Adam MacGillivray.
“What we’re trying to do is create a training centre locally and run our apprentice program here,” he said. “We have six welding booths. We want to double the size of this and just keep building on from there.”
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