Ontario Helping Insulation Workers Upgrade Skills and Land Jobs
New investment will provide free online training to achieve Red Seal certification
The Ontario government is investing nearly $700,000 in a project that will provide free training to over 200 journeypersons and apprentices in the heat and frost insulating trades to help them land in-demand jobs in well-paying sectors and meet the needs of local employers.
“This training will help participants upgrade their job skills and prepare for well-paying jobs in the skilled trades,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “For over 80 years, Local 95 of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers has been providing valuable education and skills training to its members, and we are proud to partner with them on this essential project.”
The program prepares learners for the Red Seal certification exam using a new, online platform designed to help reach those who would not otherwise be able to complete the training. A Red Seal endorsement on a provincial trade certificate indicates a high level of knowledge and skill, which are valued by employers, and helps jobseekers land rewarding jobs in the skilled trades. Individual mentorship will also be available to participants during the program that continues through March 2025.
Ontario’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream has aimed to help train almost 600,000 jobseekers with the skills and training they need to find well-paying and fulfilling careers, as well as removing the barriers for new Canadians and tradespeople.
Quick Facts
- Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s SDF has aimed to help train almost 600,000 workers in in-demand sectors, including over 66,000 construction workers, over 92,000 manufacturing workers and over 36,000 personal support workers (PSWs) / health care workers.
- Over 420,000 of these participants are expected to be from underrepresented groups such as women, youth, persons with disabilities and Indigenous peoples.
- This brings Ontario’s total investment in skills development and training through the SDF to nearly $1.1 billion.
- As of April 2024, close to 201,000 jobs were going unfilled across the province.
- The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love