The Ontario government is investing over $26 million to build a new training centre at LiUNA 183’s skilled trades training campus in Vaughan. This investment comes from the province’s new $224 million Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream, which was announced by Premier Doug Ford in June 2023 and which will support the training of more than one million workers across Ontario. With this new training centre, LiUNA 183 will be able to train nearly 50,000 additional new workers, doubling their current training capacity to almost 100,000 workers, for in-demand careers in construction across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), such as bricklaying, heavy equipment operators and concrete finishing.

“Through our new $224 million Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, our government is continuing to support the world-class Ontario workers who are rebuilding our province’s economy,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I’m so pleased that we are able to work with LiUNA 183 to help nearly 50,000 additional workers from across the GTA access the skills and training they need to find better jobs and bigger paycheques in the skilled trades.”

As part of this capital project, LiUNA 183 will build a new industrial workshop and new classrooms on their Vaughan campus to deliver both hands-on and in-class training, as well as a renovated union hall with increased capacity for the new workers and apprentices. LiUNA’s Vaughan skilled trades campus delivers their largest training program in Canada and offers students the opportunity to build a full-size two-storey residential home within the centre.

“Under Premier Ford, our government has an ambitious plan to build Ontario: from new housing that families can call home, to highways and public transit connecting our communities, and clean energy projects powering our economy,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration Training and Skills Development. “But as a large share of experienced tradespeople are retiring over the coming years, we must transfer the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of students. That’s why we’re partnering with LiUNA 183 to train almost 100,000 new construction workers who will leverage the wisdom of experienced tradespeople to build Ontario’s bright future.”

LiUNA 183’s new training centre is an example of how Ontario is partnering with labour organizations, employers, and local organizations through the SDF Capital Stream to increase their capacity to train and upskill workers for in-demand careers in the trades through building, expanding, and repairing training facilities. The SDF Capital Stream program complements the successful SDF Training Stream, through which the government helps organizations deliver training for in-demand careers in the trades, including construction, manufacturing, technology and healthcare.

Applications are open for the government’s fifth round of SDF Training Stream with up to $260 million in available funding, the largest funding round since the fund launched in 2021. With the fifth round of SDF Training Stream and the Capital Stream, this brings the government’s investment up to $1.4 billion to grow Ontario’s workforce for in-demand careers in the skilled trades.

• Once complete, the training centre will increase access to apprenticeship training by up to 40 per cent for people to gain new skills and train for successful jobs, including women, youth, and other underrepresented groups.
• The LiUNA Local 183 Training Centre provides apprenticeship training, construction skills training and health and safety training at 6 sites including Vaughan, Cobourg, Toronto, Barrie, Kingston and Cambridge.
• In 2023, 1.3 million people worked in skilled trades-related occupations in Ontario, and the province is expected to need over 500,000 more workers in skilled trades-related occupations over the next decade.
• Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s SDF Training Stream has aimed to help almost 600,000 workers train for in-demand sectors, including over 66,000 construction workers, over 92,000 manufacturing workers and over 36,000 PSWs and health-care workers.
• SDF Training Stream Round 5 opened on July 29, 2024, and applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until October 4, 2024. Interested organizations can apply through Transfer Payment Ontario and send inquiries to skillsdevelopmentfund@ontario.ca.
• Organizations including non-profits, Indigenous Band offices, Indigenous Skills and Employment Training agreement holders, unions and municipalities are eligible to submit project proposals and apply for funding.
• The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario.

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