October 20, 2009

Skills training

Ontario unveils apprentice grants

’You are a valuable resource,’ minister tells budding engineers

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

OAKVILLE, Ont.

The province has unveiled three new apprenticeship incentive measures it hopes will boost apprenticeship completions and strengthen its future workforce.

“It takes some courage and perseverance and I know it is a long haul to do both the in-class and on the job training and stick with it,” said John Milloy, Ontario’s minister of training, colleges and universities to a room full of operating engineer apprentices. “You represent the future of our province and are a valuable resource. Your success is Ontario’s success.”

The province announced its new apprenticeship incentive grant measures recently at the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793, offices in Oakville. Milloy said the new measures focus on completions and make sure “apprenticeships have the support they need to see it through and become journeypersons.”

The new incentives will be available by January 2010.

Two of the new measures were: grants of up to $2,000 to apprentices and $1,000 to employers when training is successfully completed and grants of up to $1,500 per term to help apprentices with the cost of school if they are not eligible for employment insurance.

Mike Gallagher, business manager, IUOE 793, said the grants are an investment that will pay off.

“Certainly many of the different skilled trades have been asking for this type of relief for apprentices,” said Gallagher.

“It gives them a hand to overcome some of the very steep costs during the time they are taking their apprenticeships.”

A third new provincial measure gives apprentices the choice to complete more of their in-school training up front if work placements are temporarily unavailable.

Milloy said this measure is particularly important since a number of apprentices are going into the classroom and are not finding opportunities to immediately return to the field.

“We will make sure they have the opportunity to continue their next segment of in-class training as they move forward,” said Milloy.

“What we do not want are temporary setbacks stopping apprentices from learning, their skills are just too valuable to lose.”

There are 60,000 more apprentices in Ontario this year than there were in 2003 and approximately 120,000 in total.

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