Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark announced today that Ontario is investing $774,000 through St. Lawrence College.
The investment will go towards helping train people in Eastern Ontario for good jobs in the skilled trades, advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors, according to Clark.
He made the announcement at Northern Cables, one of the college’s partners helping shape program deliverables. Stormont-Dundas and South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell, St. Lawrence College’s President and CEO Glenn Vollebregt, Associate Dean of Skilled Trades Stephen Finnagan and Manager of Skills, Training and Economic Development Jamie Puddicombe and Northern Cables CEO Shelley Bacon also attended.
Clark says that they know finding good-paying, stable jobs is life-changing for people and their families.
“As Ontario’s economy continues to recover from COVID-19, I’m proud we’re making these investments in the Brockville and Cornwall area to help people improve their skills and match them to the jobs that exist today. This funding is another critical part of our government’s efforts to support economic growth in Eastern Ontario.”
The funding will support two programs at St. Lawrence for up to 200 participants and will include:
- Mobile Learning – Skilled Trades and Personal Wellness
$500,000 will provide technology-enabled experiential learning in the skilled trades including electrical, welding and carpentry, while participants will also learn skills to support healthy, independent living through a Personal Wellness Lab. The learning labs will increase access to in-demand training in remote locations.
- Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics
$274,000 will go toward funding 12 micro-credentials in high-demand fields including, inventory and fleet optimization, supply chain software, quality assurance and compliance, 3-D printing, cloud computing and cyber security. By providing short-duration skills training, this project will support the development of a talent pipeline to ensure continued prosperity and sustainability of businesses.
The local investments are part of a $37 million commitment from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to help more than 15,000 Ontarians upgrade their skills and train for new work, according to Clark. The projects target students, apprentices, job-seekers, mid-career workers, newcomers and Indigenous peoples.
Clark thanked workplaces like Northern Cables that are partnering with St. Lawrence College to give program participants real world experience that will be invaluable for future success.
SLC President and CEO, Glenn Vollebregt says SLC plays a key role in educating, training and supporting career transition.
“This funding will allow us to pursue important initiatives that will reach an even wider pool of students which will in turn benefit our communities, and the local economy.”