The Ford government is looking to make it easier to join the trades, including attracting more women and young people from underrepresented communities.

Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced $4 million for six projects aimed at boosting the number of people in apprenticeship programs.

One of the programs, called Tomorrow’s Trades, will “introduce 96 underrepresented youth to the skilled trades” with projects taking place in Hamilton, London, Ottawa, and Sudbury. Another project, the Building and Construction Tradeswomen project, will attempt to attract more women to the trades using marketing and the offer of free training.

McNaughton praised the work that construction workers perform while announcing the program.

“Construction workers make our dreams come to life — it’s on their backs that we have the homes our families live in, the schools where we learn, and the hospitals and health-care centres that have been crucial to us over the last 18 months,” McNaughton said.

The Ford government has put a special emphasis on training and recruiting workers for the trades, citing statistics showing that as many as one-third of qualified tradesmen are at or nearing retirement age. McNaughton regularly points out that much of the training for a job in the trades is paid and that the pay on completion is quite high.

“Ironworkers, on average, make $40 an hour,” McNaughton said while noting that many paycheques go unclaimed because not enough people are applying.

“A career in the trades is well paid, meaningful, and can afford you the opportunity to start your very own business,” McNaughton said.

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