For Immediate Release
May 08 , 2006
McGuinty Government investING in Apprenticeship training AT
ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE
McGuinty Government Helping Ontarians Find Opportunity
KINGSTON – Students in Kingston will have improved access to rewarding careers in the skilled trades through new investments made by the McGuinty government in the Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship Training Program,MPP John Gerretsenannounced today on behalf of Chris Bentley, Minister of Training Colleges and Universities.
“Creating more opportunities for students in Kingston to train as apprentices will help boost our local businesses and ultimately build a stronger economy”, Gerretsen said. “Investing in projects at St. Lawrence College will help young people in our community who begin apprenticeships to be able to complete a college diploma in a related course of study.”
In Kingston, the Provincial government is investing in three projects at St. Lawrence College that will provide opportunities for 36 people to apprentice as cooks while completing a culinary management diploma, 20 people to apprentice as industrial electricians while completing an electrical technician diploma and 20 people to apprentice as industrial mechanic millwrights while completing a mechanical technician diploma. The funding breakdown is as follows:
| Cook, Culinary management diploma | $522,000 |
| Industrial electrician, Electrical technician diploma | $330,000 |
| Industrial mechanic millwright, Mechanical technician diploma | $290,000 |
Through the Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship Program, the provincial government is investing $11.5 million over four years in 28 projects in colleges throughout Ontario. Beginning in September, more than 900 students will be able to complete a college diploma while training as an apprentice in nine different skilled trades, including cook, automotive service technician, tool and die maker, and electrician.
Ontario has Canada’s largest apprenticeship training system. The McGuinty government is working to provide more opportunities for Ontario’s youth to become apprentices by:
- Increasing the number of new apprentices by 7,000 to a total of 26,000 annually in 2007-08
- Introducing the apprenticeship training tax credit to make it easier for employers to hire and train new apprentices.
“The best jobs and the most investment go to the places with the best-educated and most highly skilled workforce,” Bentley said. “Ontario will be at its best only when every Ontarian has the opportunity to achieve his or her full potential.”
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Contact: John Gerretsen, MPP
(613) 547-2385
