Ontario invests $90 million in skilled trades program for those facing barriers to employment

Ontario says it is investing $90 million in new funding for a program that aims to help find work for those who are unemployed or underemployed.

Labour Minister Monte McNaughton was in Hamilton on Monday to announce the new round of funding for the Skills Development Fund, which will prioritize helping people with prior involvement in the criminal justice system, at-risk youth, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and Ukrainian newcomers.

“Across Ontario, tens of thousands of people have been involved in our justice system,” McNaughton said during the announcement at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 105 headquarters in Mount Hope. “They have paid their dues and now they just want to give back.”

He said the province is facing a “historic” labour shortage, with 370,000 unfilled jobs, and praised the work of organizations like the John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington and Area that have used the funding to find employment for those with criminal records.

Colleen Scanlan is one of those who were able to get a well-paying union job through the John Howard Society and said she feels “thankful and blessed” to be in the position she’s in.

“I don’t have to have two or three minimum wage-paying jobs. I’m able to only work one job and have that extra time for myself and my kids and my family and go see my parents and whatnot, so the experience has been incredible.”

Donna de Jong, executive director of the John Howard Society, said a previous round of funding has already allowed them to find work for dozens of people in Hamilton who have been involved in the criminal justice system.

In that previous round, they set a target of helping 40 people find employment but managed to exceed their expectations by finding work for more than 70 people.

“And we have about an 85 to 90 per cent success rate,” said de Jong. “We’re very lucky to have wonderful relationships with employers here in Hamilton as well that are willing to take a chance on some of our employees.”

This new round of funding will prioritize applications for the skilled trades, health care, technology and manufacturing industries.

Right now, one of the programs that the John Howard Society is hoping to find more applicants for is the general machinist pre-apprenticeship training program.

The Skills Development Fund will cover the cost of the first round of training needed for that program, which works out to about $12,000.

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De Jong said the fund also covers the cost of things like transportation and any clothing that someone would need to start a new job, as well as any short-term training that someone might need.

“Someone might say, ‘Hey, you know, I would offer … Colleen a job, but she doesn’t have her forklift licence.’ We’re like, ‘Give us 48 hours, we’ll get it done.’ Or, ‘We will hire that person, but they really need their first state CPR certification ahead of time.’ Give us 24 hours, we can get that done.”

De Jong said people who have been in prison or have criminal records have specific needs and face a heavy stigma when trying to restart their lives, so the provincial funding is instrumental in allowing them to find good and meaningful employment.

“We know that justice-involved individuals are very worthy of support and worthy of not just jobs, but careers,” she said. “They have a lot to offer.”

“We’re also at a state of the province right now where we do have shortages and it’s really an untapped market. Traditionally, perhaps some employers are resistant to consider people with justice involvement. But I can tell you, our people show up every day. They work super hard. And it’s well worth the investment.”

The province will be accepting funding applications starting this Thursday and that window will be open until Jan. 31.

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