OHBA applauds provincial commitment to skilled trades
June 20, 2024
The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) applauds the recent announcement by the Ontario government, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, of the Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST) program. This initiative is designed to bolster the skilled trades workforce by integrating high school students into the trades starting in grades 11 and 12.
OHBA says it is optimistic about the enhanced cooperation among ministries, which is crucial to overcoming the challenges associated with the skilled trades sector. This comprehensive strategy aims to spark both interest and engagement among youth to consider careers in the trades early in their educational journey.
Government commitment
The program has the potential to be a tangible part of the solution to achieving the government’s commitment to building 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
OHBA says it is committed to collaborating with the ministries to maximize participation opportunities within the homebuilding industry, saying its efforts will extend to aiding the development and implementation of the new job bank matching system.