Ontario Investing $2.2 Million to Expand Access to Apprenticeship Training in Windsor

Provincial funding will support three organizations to modernize training facilities and prepare more women and youth for in-demand careers in the skilled trades

The Ontario government is investing more than $2.2 million to expand apprenticeship pathways and modernize skilled trades training in Windsor. Through the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program and the Apprenticeship Capital Grant, the province is supporting three organizations that will help 80 people prepare for in-demand careers in the skilled trades and ensure students train with the modern equipment and technology used on today’s jobsites. As part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario, the province is helping more workers gain the skills needed to land rewarding careers in the skilled trades and ensure Ontario has the workforce it needs to build the homes, highways, hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure that the province needs.

“Ontario’s future depends on having the skilled workers needed to build it,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government is taking action by expanding opportunities for people in Windsor to start rewarding careers in the skilled trades. By investing in hands-on apprenticeship training, modern equipment and pathways into in-demand careers, we are helping more people, including women, youth and other underrepresented groups, develop the skills employers need while strengthening Ontario’s workforce for the future.”

The three organizations funded today include:

• Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) of Windsor is receiving more than $1.56 million through the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program to train 60 women for careers in the industrial electrician, electrician construction and maintenance, refrigeration and air conditioning, sheet metal and cement finishing trades, helping expand opportunities for women in high-demand construction careers.
• St. Clair College is receiving more than $641,000 to expand skilled trades training, including $291,065 through the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program to train 20 participants, primarily youth and other underrepresented groups, for careers in tool and die making, as well as $350,000 through the Apprenticeship Capital Grant to upgrade Computer Numerical Control machining equipment and controls with modern, industry-standard technology.
• The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers is receiving $53,720 through the Apprenticeship Capital Grant to purchase robotic surveying and monitoring technology, giving apprentices hands-on experience with advanced technology used across Ontario’s construction industry.

Together, these investments will expand access to apprenticeship training while ensuring training providers have the facilities and equipment needed to prepare apprentices for careers in high-demand sectors including construction, manufacturing and industrial trades.

Modernizing facilities and expanding access to the skilled trades is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario by building a highly skilled workforce ready to meet growing demand and keep Ontario resilient into the future. Through its $236 billion plan to build, the government is delivering critical infrastructure projects that communities rely on while connecting more people to stable, good-paying careers.

Quick Facts

• Over the next decade, Ontario is expected to need over 400,000 workers to fill job openings in skilled trades-related occupations, across all sectors, due to retirements and job growth.
• The present Apprenticeship Capital Grant and Pre-Apprenticeship program funding is at record levels since the programs began.
• By 2034, about 1 in 6 job openings in Ontario are expected to be in a skilled trades-related occupation.
• In the construction sector alone, Ontario is expected to need nearly 75,000 workers to fill job openings in skilled trades-related occupations due to retirements and job growth.
• Through Budget 2025, the Ontario government invested $75 million to train up to 7,800 additional students at colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes across the province for in-demand jobs in construction and urban planning.
• Recently, the Ontario government announced $1.7 billion to fund 70,000 more seats for in-demand programs at publicly assisted colleges and universities, including skilled trades. This is part of the government’s new long-term funding model, which will bring $6.4 billion to our colleges, universities, and Indigenous Institutes.
• The Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program and Apprenticeship Capital Grants are supported by labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

“St. Clair College thanks the Ontario government for this significant investment in apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training. By supporting modern equipment upgrades and expanding training opportunities for youth and other underrepresented groups, this funding strengthens our local workforce and helps meet the growing needs of the automotive, aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors. At St. Clair College, Start Here, Go Anywhere is more than a slogan — it reflects our commitment to providing hands-on learning that prepares students for meaningful careers and supports the continued growth of our community.” – Michael Silvaggi, President, St. Clair College