A Chatham-Kent initiated and designed program will give local youth age 15 to 29 an introduction to the skilled trades thanks to some provincial funding.
Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton came to Chatham Thursday to announce more than $215,000 in funding for a program being run by the Prosperity Roundtable to “provide more young people a hand up to life-long, meaningful careers in the skilled trades .”
He said the new ‘Ambition Trailer’ project will provide unemployed and underemployed young people opportunities to get first-hand experience in the skilled trades.
Starting in June, 75 future tradespeople will receive a tool belt with basic tools worth $150, a shuttle to do their training and be paid while they learn over the course of three weeks, he added.
McNaughton said it is projects like this that will “unleash the ambition of young people right here in our community.”
William Laurie, trades and youth mentor for the Prosperity Roundtable, said this investment in the Ambition Trailer project through Ontario’s Skills Development Fund is a “game-changer” by opening new and exciting opportunities for the next generation to enter the skilled trades.
“Through flexible training and employment opportunities, participants will gain a broad range of new skills, build essential skills for gainful employment and will be exposed to a variety of trades all while receiving an income,” Laurie said.
He added the program will also be working with Adult Language Learning to provide literacy and essential skills training.
“I believe literacy and essential skills training is a crucial component for preparing young adults to enter this dynamic and growing career in the skilled trades,” Laurie said.
It’s about life-long learning, said Adult Language and Learning executive director Tracy Callaghan.
“So we start these folks off and assist them in navigating that next step and that’s really important,” she said.
Phil Mock, Prosperity Roundtable project co-ordinator, said the program “is an introduction to what a trade career can offer.”
“We hope that it’s broad, it’s exciting and energizing for those participating,” he added.
Mock said the idea for the project was incubated through the Skilled Trades Action Team, which is a multi-sector group of businesses, employers, education, government and community partners.
“We were very lucky to work with the ministry and the municipality to put this grant together,” he said.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said the program is an innovative, Chatham-Kent solution that is not being done anywhere else in Ontario.
He credited McNaughton for taking swift action to help Chatham-Kent in securing the funding within three to four weeks of being approached about the project.
The mayor said local businesses need skilled workers.
“Every employer I talk to, bar none, they say, ‘My No. 1 issue is finding people,’” Canniff said. “Our economy could grow immensely if we starting getting more people in here.”
There is no shortage of opportunities in the skilled trades, McNaughton said.
“Our province is facing the largest labor shortage in a generation,” he said, citing the fact in Chatham-Kent there were over 2,000 job postings for the skilled trades in the last six months.
By 2025 one in five jobs in Ontario will be in skilled trades, he added.
While this training is an introduction, it is up to participants to take it to the next level such as pursuing apprenticeships, jobs or going on to post-secondary training.
McNaughton said the Tools in the Trades Boot Camps offered run at high school across Ontario to introduce young people to the skilled trades was a success.
“I’m proud to report that initiative, alone, has now signed up more than 600 apprentices across the province and introduced the skilled trades to thousands of more young people,” he said.
More details on how to apply for the training will be coming, says organizers.