The Ontario government is expanding the Second Career program and extending the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit to 2022.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin made the announcement this morning during a new conference at a south-end Barrie business.
The Second Career program provides financial support to laid-off and unemployed workers. By spring 2022, the program will begin supporting unemployed individuals with little or no work experience, people who are self-employed and those in the gig economy.
The program is also expected to include better access for people whose employment barriers may have been worsened by the pandemic, including young people, newcomers, people on social assistance, and those with disabilities.
The program provides eligible applicants up to $28,000 for costs including tuition, books, manuals, workbook, transportation, and basic living allowance.
Khanjin called the investment in skilled trades “the way of the future and the road to recovery,” while adding the industry was facing a labour shortage that must be filled.
Also in attendance at Thursday's news conference to encourage the support of both women in business and skilled trades workers were Barrie Chamber of Commerce executive director Paul Markle, Simcoe County Home Builders’ Association executive officer Sandy Tuckey, Sandbox Centre managing director Danielle Lazarevska, Brian Little of Brian’s Little Electric Inc., and Discount Granite Plus owner Stephanie Gourlie.
Another announcement that was warmly welcomed by Gourlie was the Ontario government providing an additional $500,000 to its Investing in Women’s Futures Program, bringing total funding to $2.7 million this year.
“The skilled trades industry, particularly the granite business, is still a relatively unconventional job for women," Gourlie said. "To see some government initiatives and assistance being put into making it easier for women to pursue jobs in this much-needed field is a great thing.
“I was encouraged by my business partner to get involved in this and when I initially did, I knew very little about it," she added. "But I grew with it and learned as I went along. It has been incredibly rewarding and I would love to see more women involved.”
Over the past two years, the 23 women’s centres offering the Investing in Women’s Futures Program have helped more than 1,900 women find jobs or start their own businesses and pursue further training or education. Overall, 19,000 women have accessed the program over the past three years.
The additional funding will help improve the delivery of online services to increase access for women who are not able to attend in-person due to dependent care responsibilities, mobility and/or living in a rural or remote community and provide greater access to counselling and other wraparound supports to bolster their physical and mental health and safety.
“We train our own staff and that's been working, but with initiatives like this, it will start the conversation before people job hunt and get women interested and passionate about the industry,” said Gourlie. “That really is key for getting more women into the field, making them passionate about it and having them know there is a place in skilled trades for them.”
Ontario is also investing an additional $90 million over three years to further promote the skilled trades to young people, in response to the Apprenticeship Youth Advisors report, which includes several recommendations to help solve the shortage of skilled workers Ontario is currently facing.
For more information on the provincial funding, click here.
