Ontario’s Ford Government Training Jobseekers for In-Demand Careers as Electricians in Niagara

“This announcement is good news for employers and workers in Niagara and will help prepare the next generation of highly skilled workers for the good jobs of today and tomorrow.”              – Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted April 3, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA FALLS – The Ontario government is working to fill the labour shortage by successfully training new electrical construction workers for in-demand careers in Niagara, together with union partners. 

Enabled by an investment of $672,700 through Ontario’s Skills Development Fund, the government has partnered with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 303 to deliver the Job Readiness Program for local apprentices and jobseekers.

“We know in-demand jobs in the skilled trades continue to grow,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

“This announcement is good news for employers and workers in Niagara and will help prepare the next generation of highly skilled workers for the good jobs of today and tomorrow.”

“As Ontario faces the largest labour shortage in a generation, our government is delivering on our commitment to build up our workforce and grow our economy,” said Hon. David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

“Together with our union partners, we are creating training opportunities for Ontarians to develop the skills for well-paying, highly in-demand careers and land a better job with a bigger paycheck.”

“IBEW Local 303 proudly announces the second round of government funding for our skilled trades training program, ‘Wiring the Future’,” said Mark Cherney, Business Manager of IBEW Local 303.

“This initiative offers enhanced training and career development in the electrical trade.  Thanks to the continued government support, we are empowering a new generation with the skills needed for industry success.”

MPP Oosterhoff joined Minister Piccini, along with Jim Diodati, Mayor of the City of Niagara Falls; Mark Cherney, Business Manager of IBEW Local 303, and electrical apprentice, Kylia Mulvee, at the podium at IBEW Local 303 in Niagara Falls today.

Led by IBEW 303, the Job Readiness Program provided sixteen apprentices with basic electrical and safety skills training, along with financial, budgeting, mentorship and job placement resources and included paid work placements on jobsites across Niagara Region.  In the fourth quarter of 2023, there were nearly 1,500 job vacancies for electricians in Ontario.

Almost 500,000 additional workers are expected to be needed in skilled trades-related occupations over the next decade.  Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s Skills Development Fund Training Stream has already helped connect more than half a million jobseekers with the skills and training they need to find well-paying careers close to home.

As announced in 2024 Budget: Building a Better Ontario, the Ontario government is investing an additional $100 million through the Skills Development Fund to grow the trades workforce and build Ontario, bringing Ontario’s total Skills Development Fund investment to nearly $1 billion.

Quick Facts:

  *There were nearly 22,700 jobs recently going unfilled in the Hamilton-Niagara region.

  *61,000 electricians were employed in Ontario in 2023.

  *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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