Ontario Investing $10 Million to Train Workers in Shipbuilding and Repair in St. Catharines, Hamilton and Thunder Bay

August 21, 2024

St. Catharines – The Ontario government is investing $10 million through the Skills Development Fund Training Stream with Ontario Shipyards to train and upskill workers for careers in the shipbuilding and repair sector. This is part of the government’s up to $1.4 billion investment through the Skills Development Fund to partner with employers, labour unions and other local organizations to connect jobseekers with employers, grow the province’s workforce and drive Ontario’s productivity.

“Niagara has a strong marine legacy of building ships with workmanship and skill,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

“This investment from the Skills Development Fund in Ontario Shipyards will provide opportunities for good jobs and careers with bigger paycheques for Niagara workers as we build world-class ships.”

“We are proud to invest in the workers who are powering Ontario’s world-class shipbuilding industry here in St. Catharines and in communities across the province,” said Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario.

“We need all levels of government to step up and recognize the extraordinary potential of this industry and its workers by ensuring that much-needed Canadian vessels are built in Ontario, by Ontario shipbuilders.”

Ontario Shipyards will deliver training, re-skilling and up-skilling programs for careers in the millwright, welding, electrical and painting trades in St. Catharines, Hamilton and Thunder Bay. Courses will include ship building and ship repair, shipyard orientation and health and safety procedures, along with professional development, leadership training and mentoring to recruit and retain the next generation of leaders and workers.

“Under Premier Ford, our government is proud to partner with major employers across the province to create tens of thousands of highly-skilled, well-paying jobs and ensure local workers have the training and opportunity to thrive in these careers,” said Hon. David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

“Today’s announcement is a $10 million investment in manufacturing workers and is yet another example of how our government is delivering better training for workers across the province.”

Applications are open for the government’s fifth round of the Skills Development Fund Training Stream, which opened on July 29, 2024, with up to $260 million in available funding, the largest funding round announced since the Fund launched in 2021.

This round of funding brings Ontario’s total investment through the SDF to up to $1.4 billion. As Ontario continues to grow, the Skills Development Fund Training Stream will help ensure skilled workers are trained and ready to fill rewarding jobs in in-demand sectors in their communities.

This investment to grow Ontario’s shipbuilding and repair workforce is part of the province’s strategy to strengthen the province’s position as a leader in marine transportation, as outlined in The Future of the Great Lakes Economy: Ontario’s Marine Transportation Strategy.