Funding Opportunities by the Government of Ontario

As per a recent article in CTMA’s Magazine, we would like to make our customers aware of funding opportunities provided by the Government of Ontario. For more information on these initiatives, please contact Robert Cattle, executive director of the CTMA, at [email protected].

Introductory Trades Training ProgramOn-the-job training for Ontario youth.

This will be focused in the Windsor/Essex region that, in part, will use Valiant Corporation’s already successful “Earn While You Learn” program for some of the basic introductory skills. Youth will receive shop-floor training at 25 area machine, tool, die and mould companies. The CTMA will administer the program and will also partner with New Beginnings, a Windsor-based youth assistance organization.

It is our intention to provide financial support to companies for their efforts in creating 25 new jobs for youth and training them on their shop floors. The youth training will begin with a mandatory, three to four week basic introductory program at the Valiant Training Centre. The introductory program will introduce our new recruits (youth, aged 18 to 29) to shop safety and some basic skills such as measuring, how to read a drawing, etc. They will then be ready for their job placements and begin the remaining 28 weeks of their introductory training starting their new career.

CNC Machinist Level 1 & Open Doors

This is a province-wide initiative that is being developed by the Ontario Manufacturing Learning Consortium, which is comprised of the CME, the OAC, the CTMA and the OCI. The aim of this learning program is to provide 80 youth (aged 18 to 29) with an on-the-job training experience within the manufacturing sector, specifically so they can learn CNC machining skills.

The program will include an “Open Doors” aspect that will help attract youth to the program and to the manufacturing sector. We will also be able to financially support the participating companies across Ontario throughout this 26-week program, during which, their new employees will learn the skills needed for a career in running today’s CNC equipment.

Both of these programs will be monitored throughout for progress and feedback from both the youth involved and their new employers. It is our intention that once these programs are completed, we will have given career opportunities to 100 of Ontario’s youth and will have helped alleviate some of the skills shortage problems that our member companies are currently facing.

In addition, one of the long-term benefits is that we will have a proven structure in place to use again for future employment streams.

For more information on these  funding opportunities, please contact Robert Cattle, executive director of the CTMA, at [email protected].