Ontario Investing Over $74 Million Through Next Round of Skills Development Fund Capital Stream

November 12, 2024

ORO-MEDONTE — The Ontario government is launching the second round of its Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream starting November 29, with over $74 million in available funding to build, expand and retrofit training facilities for workers in the trades, including construction, manufacturing technology and health care. The government is also investing nearly $5 million from the first round of the SDF Capital Stream with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) to build a new crane training facility for over 1,600 workers in Barrie. Since the province launched the Skills Development Fund in 2021, Ontario is building training facilities and providing training programs that are projected to support over one million workers across the province.

“With more than $74 million committed to training and workers across the province, this new round of funding through our Skills Development Fund Capital Stream will help thousands of additional Ontario workers find better jobs and bigger paycheques,” said Premier Doug Ford. “It’s especially great to be here in Oro-Medonte to announce nearly $5 million in support from the first round of funding and see first-hand how it’s making a difference in the lives of Ontario workers.”

Building on the success of the SDF Capital Stream announced in 2023, Ontario will open a second round on November 29, 2024, with an enhanced, streamlined application process that includes a new SEED pathway to help with the upfront costs of developing construction proposals, such as design drawings and technical plans. This addresses the needs of businesses and training providers who may lack the in-house capacity to develop complex construction plans. As a further improvement, the Capital Stream will now also accept funding proposals all year round, which enables faster application reviews.

“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, to clean energy projects powering our economy,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “But with one in three tradespeople retiring over the coming years, we must pass on the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of workers. With a new, second round of our Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, we are going to kick Ontario’s training capacity into high-gear, training over one million workers for in-demand careers in every corner of Ontario.”

The announcement was made in Oro-Medonte, where the government is investing nearly $5 million in the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) to build a new crane training facility, led by the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO). The SDF Capital Stream investment from round one will help build a new crane training facility focused on training apprentices in mobile and tower crane operation, as well as heavy equipment. This modern and high-tech centre will include simulation labs, workshops and an outdoor training area for tower cranes, in addition to classrooms, offices and a cafeteria. This full-service training facility will train over 1,600 jobseekers – including youth, Indigenous peoples and newcomers – and foster innovation, while helping to build a talent pipeline for the construction industry in the region and across Ontario.

Quick Facts

• SDF comprises two streams: the Training Stream supports hiring, training and upskilling programs for jobseekers, apprentices and workers; and the Capital Stream supports upgrades or construction of training centres for the skilled trades. The total investment for both streams is to up to $1.4 billion.
• SDF Capital Stream Round 2 will open on November 29 and will allow a continuous intake of applications. This improved application process allows interested organizations to apply year-round through Transfer Payment Ontario. Inquiries can be sent to: SDFCapitalProgram@ontario.ca.
• The new SEED pathway of the Capital Stream will help fund the development of capital plans for training facilities and will complement the already established GROW pathway that will continue to support projects to build, upgrade and expand new training infrastructure.
• Organizations that are interested in submitting a proposal for either the SEED or GROW pathways will be able to review the SDF Capital Stream application guidelines over the coming week at https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/on00540.
• Since its launch in 2023, Ontario’s SDF Capital Stream has been supporting renovation and construction projects that aim to help almost 250,000 workers train for in-demand sectors.
• The SDF Training Stream supports hiring, training and upskilling projects for jobseekers, apprentices and workers. Round 5 of the SDF Training Stream closed on October 11, 2024 and over 800 applications for funding were submitted.
• Ontario’s $5 million investment through round one of the SDF Capital Stream will go to support the construction of IUOE’s $25 million crane training facility.
• Over 21,000 jobs were recently going unfilled in Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie region, including jobs in the construction sector.
• The Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund is exclusively funded by the Government of Ontario.
• The Training Stream of the SDF 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 supports employment and settlement service programs, Ontario continues to call for the federal government to reinstate this critical funding for Ontario workers and jobseekers.

Quotes

“You are seeing homes, highways, roads, transit, and critical infrastructure being built across the province and our government is training the next generation of workers we need to build growing communities like Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. This is all part of our plan to deliver better jobs with bigger paycheques. Ontario is growing at a rapid pace. By delivering $5 million for this new crane operator training facility for over 1,600 workers in Oro-Medonte, we are supporting jobseekers in the construction industry, supporting our local economy, and building a stronger Ontario.”
– Doug Downey

MPP, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte

“This new $25 million training facility represents an investment not just in the future of IUOE Local 793, but also in the province of Ontario. As a union that represents more than 20,000 Operating Engineers and has invested more than $275 million in training since the 1990s, it is a pleasure to work with a government that has ambitious plans to rebuild Ontario and understands the need to develop a skilled workforce that can turn those plans into reality. With the help of this grant from the Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, our new facility will complement the training we already provide at our two world-class campuses in Oakville and Morrisburg. It will also allow us to offer even more young people a direct route into a secure, well-paid career as an Operating Engineer. On behalf of myself and our Board of Training Trust Fund Trustees and members, I wish to thank Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini for their ongoing commitment to Local 793 as we continue to build the skilled workforce of the future.”
– Mike Gallagher
Business Manager, IUOE, Local 793

“This award from the Ontario government’s Skills Development Fund Capital Stream will help us to dramatically increase our training capacity to more closely match the growing demand for skilled Operating Engineers. Once completed, our new facility will include the latest simulators, modern classrooms and state-of-art equipment that will create new opportunities for young people to enter the trade and put our members and apprentices on the pathway to success.”
– Rick Kerr
Executive Director, OETIO

“The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario has seen the positive impact Skills Development Funding has had under the Ontario Government and today’s announcement of the Capital Stream will allow the expansion and growth of our many training centres across the province, supporting the training and advancement of our workforce to meet industry demand.”
– Marc Arsenault
Business Manager of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario

Additional Resources

• Skills Development Fund: Training Stream
• Skills Development Fund: Capital Stream
• Skilled Trades Ontario

Media Contacts

Grace Lee
Premier’s Office
Grace.Lee5@ontario.ca

Michel Figueredo
Minister Piccini’s Office
michel.figueredo@ontario.ca

Communications Branch
mlitsdmedialine@ontario.ca

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