Is the Government encouraging young people to become electricians?
Yes. The shortage of skilled trades in Ontario is so substantial that the provincial government provides a multitude of expensive and exhaustive programs to encourage Ontarians to enter the trades. Examples of these programs can be accessed at the following websites: www.apprenticetrades.ca and www.careerintrades.ca. The provincial government also funds an extensive network of applied arts and technology colleges across Ontario, most of which provide electrical training programs. The government is so concerned about the this issue that it made the expansion of apprenticeship programs a centerpiece of a $1.5 billion, three-year employment training program announced in the 2008 Ontario Budget. The “Skills to Jobs Action Plan” will expand apprenticeship programs by 25 per cent over three years. A specific component of this plan includes $75 million in funding over three years to expand apprenticeship training. Despite this, the government continues to block the path to employment in the e
