The Carpenters’ Regional Council (CRC or Carpenters’ Union) recently announced it is receiving nearly $27 Million from Ontario’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training and Capital streams – an unprecedent investment in the province’s skilled trades workforce.
The $14 million funding from the SDF Training Stream is the largest investment in the stream’s history. The landmark investment will support the creation of the CRC Workforce Development Program, which will expand the reach and capacity of three existing training programs and establish two new ones, upskilling nearly 1,500 workers in total. In addition, the nearly $13 Million received from the SDF Capital Stream will be used for brick-and-mortar upgrades of five union training centres across the province, enabling the training of more than 1,000 additional carpenters.
This investment has special significance for Northern Ontario, with Sudbury Local 2486’s Social Integration Program incorporated into the funding. This program runs in partnership with Monteith Correctional Complex to provide low-risk inmates with pre-apprenticeship training in the final weeks approaching their release, paving a structured pathway to a stable career. Participants are equipped with valuable skills, empowering them to pursue employment and reintegrate into society. By providing an opportunity for a career in the trades, this program seeks to break the cycle of recidivism and foster safer, more resilient communities.
As part of the CRC’s broader Work Employment Readiness for Carpentry (WERC) program for new entrants to carpentry, the Social Integration Program will consist of 4 weeks of technical training and a 4-week on-the-job placement. Participants from Monteith Correctional Complex will receive an extra week of social skills training to prepare them for the program, prior to entry. This program will support rehabilitation efforts while strengthening Northern Ontario’s skilled trades workforce.
Local 2486 will also receive $3,192,261 from the SDF Capital Stream. This investment will fund the construction of a new training centre in Sudbury, further expanding the Carpenters’ Union training capacity and providing career opportunities to people from Northern and Indigenous communities.
Over the next decade, Ontario is expected to need more than 500,000 workers in the skilled trades to meet the province’s construction and infrastructure demands.
The nearly $27 million provided to the Carpenters’ Union through Ontario’s Skills Development Fund will play a crucial role in preparing a new generation of carpenters to build the future of Northern Ontario.