Ontario Investing $498,334.02 in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell
Skills Development Fund investing in Vars
Vars — The Ontario government is investing $498,334.02 through the Skills Development Fund (SDF).This latest round of funding brings Ontario’s total investment through the Skills Development Fund to up to $1.4 billion.
“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. But after years of neglect and under-investment in the trades from previous Liberal governments, one in three tradespeople are nearing retirement,”said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “That’s why we’re partnering with local employers, unions, and educators to pass on the expertise and wisdom of the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of students, apprentices, and workers who will build Ontario’s bright future.”
In partnership with Xpertek Construction, the Ontario government is investing $498,334.02 to
– Build XpertekU, a facility to deliver a unique program that will train/re-skill workers to improve their employment outcomes and address a labour shortage in the construction industry
-Empower workers and job seekers who face barriers to employment to gain access to meaningful and gainful employment in a high-demand occupation
-Increase Xpertek (growing company in high-demand market) capacity to attract, develop and retain a resilient workforce with the skills to succeed in the labour market
“Investing in the future of Ontario’s workforce is critical to building a strong and resilient economy. This funding will help Xpertek Construction expand its training capacity, ensuring that more workers are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in the high-demand construction industry. By supporting local employers, we are investing in the next generation of tradespeople who will contribute to Ontario’s growth and prosperity for years to come.”
— Stéphane Sarrazin, MPP
Through the SDF, the government is investing up to $1.4 billion through SDF’s Training Stream and the Capital Stream which are designed to recruit, train and upskill workers and build or upgrade training centres for the skilled trades.
Xpertek Construction leadership is very happy to have been chosen as a recipient of the skilled development fund. The funds will be used to build the infrastructure to start and deliver the Xpertek University Training Center. One of the largest challenges our company faces is the training of multi-disciplinary construction technicians. The investment will permit the development of Canadian Youth currently working in construction who require more training, established specialized construction workers who need to re-align their career and finally newcomers to Canada with construction skills that need to be adapted to Canadian standards. In the last 2 years, Xpertek had a great experience of hiring Ukrainian temporary residents and this group is now 20% of Xpertek’s workforce. Xpertek Construction’s mission is the Beautification of Public Spaces by responding to the construction needs of the Education, Healthcare and Government Sector. Its services are Emergency Response, Handyman Services and small to medium size Construction Contracts. Mentioned David Ryan, Co-Owner and VP Vales at Xpertek Construction
Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s Skills Development Fund has helped connect approximately 600,000 workers train or upskill for careers in the trades in their local communities, including over 92,000 manufacturing workers, over 66,000 construction workers, over 36,000 PSWs and healthcare workers, and over 27,000 mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction workers.
Quick Facts
- Ontario’s $224 million SDF Capital Stream was launched by Premier Ford in June 2023.
- People interested in participating in the programs announced today are encouraged to contact the lead organizations of the projects directly.
- The Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund is exclusively funded by the Government of Ontario.
- The Training Stream of the Skills Development Fund is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
- As the Government of Canada has unilaterally cut over $230 million annually from Ontario’s Labour Market Transfer Agreements, which support employment and settlement service programs, Ontario continues to call for the federal government to reinstate this critical funding for Ontario workers and jobseekers.
Additional Resources
MEDIA CONTACTS
Office of MPP Stéphane Sarrazin
Noémie Prevost
Communications and Public Relations
Noemie.prevost@pc.ola.org