Ontario Government Announces Over $2.1 Million Investment to Train Workers in Leeds & Grenville at 401 Electric in Brockville Friday

Brockville – Ontario Premier Doug Ford was in Brockville on Friday to announce his government’s over $2.1 million investment from the Skills Development Fund to expand training facilities and train over 700 skilled trades workers and youth.

Ford made the announcement today at 401 Electric in Brockville along with Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development, David Piccini, MPP Steve Clark and Barry Moss, owner of 401 Electric. Also on hand for the announcement were Brockville Mayor Matt Wren and Leeds& Grenville Warden and Mayor of North Grenville Nancy Peckford.

The funding is for training for careers in utilities, electrical trades, and motive power trades in Leeds-Grenville and expanding a training facility in Kemptville.

“With today’s investments, we’re helping hundreds of workers across the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville get the training and support they need to find good-paying jobs that will support the local economy,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Across the province, we’re rebuilding Ontario’s economy by investing in the skilled trades so we can attract investment and create better jobs with bigger paycheques for our world-class workers.”

The funding comes from both the Training and Capital streams of the SDF, which are designed to recruit, train and upskill workers and build or upgrade training centres for the skilled trades.

The projects include:

Four-O-One Electric Ltd.:

• $1,064,500 through SDF Training Stream to train and up-skill 77 electrical workers, including women and youth and to advance from their apprenticeship to Journeyperson certification, with training stipends to incentivize workers to build upon their skillsets and train for innovative techniques and equipment.

Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre:

• $840,912 through the SDF Training Stream to train 45 apprentices and workers in the motive power sector, including in the Commercial Vehicle and Equipment Apprenticeship (CVEA) program. This investment will also enable the Centre to deliver one-day training programs for 545 students in grades 7-12 to encourage them to start a career in motive power and other skilled trades.

Devries Power and Utilities Solutions:

• $263,142 through SDF Capital Stream to build an expanded training facility in Kemptville that will train 40 new diesel heavy mechanics, as well as electrical and powerline workers. The upgraded facilities will increase capacity for in-house, on-the-job training for new hires and other workers, reducing the need for workers to travel outside of the region to access training opportunities.

“With one in three tradespeople nearing retirement, we must transfer the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of students,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “That’s why we’re partnering with local employers and educators to inspire more young people to join the trades, including launching the biggest Level Up! skilled trades career fair campaign in Ontario’s history to train the next generation of workers who will leverage the wisdom of experienced tradespeople to build Ontario’s bright future.”

October 11 is the deadline to apply for the government’s fifth round of SDF Training Stream, the largest round since the fund launched in 2021 with up to $260 million in available funding. The fifth round of the SDF Training Stream and the Capital Stream brings the government’s investment up to $1.4 billion to grow Ontario’s workforce for in-demand careers in the skilled trades.

The government says that this investment brings Ontario’s total SDF investment in Leeds-Grenville workers to over $4.6 million to support over 2,600 workers, job seekers and youth.