The Ontario government is investing to expand SMART Local 47’s sheet metal worker training centre in Gloucester, Ottawa.
The funding, provided through the Skills Development Fund (SDF), will upgrade the centre’s capacity to train the next generation of sheet metal workers. This expansion will allow the centre to train an additional 528 workers over the next five years, addressing the skilled trades shortage in the province.
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini shares the details.
“Ontario is facing a critical shortage of skilled tradespeople,” said Piccini. “This investment ensures that both English and French-speaking workers have access to quality training to build Ontario’s future.”
According to Piccini the province is investing in the future.
Piccini says they’ll also celebrate a first in Ontario.
The $4 million investment includes $54,000 for translating and implementing a French-language apprenticeship and safety training curriculum. This initiative is expected to increase completion rates among Francophone apprentices, who will now have the opportunity to train in their native language.
Ontario’s SDF aims to support critical infrastructure and training programs in the skilled trades, with the province needing more than 500,000 additional workers in the next decade. The expansion of SMART Local 47’s training centre is part of the government’s broader strategy to build a stronger, more skilled workforce across Ontario.
(Written by: Joseph Goden with files from John Brenner)
