Ontario invests $6 million to connect next generation of workers to auto sector

The entrance to St. Clair College's main campus in Windsor. Photo taken August 22, 2019. (Ricardo Veneza / CTV Windsor)

A St. Clair College program is one of 14 to receiving funding from the province to connect students to careers in the auto sector.

The Ontario government is investing nearly $6 million to support these projects, part of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network’s Regional Future Workforce (RFW) program, aimed at helping students develop skills needed to secure good-paying jobs in the auto sector after graduation.

“As we continue to grow Ontario’s auto supply chain, it’s important that we empower students and connect them with exciting opportunities in the sector,” Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade, said in a news release. “We’re attracting billions of dollars worth of investment from companies worldwide that will create thousands of new jobs.”

School boards, post-secondary institutions and non-profits will receive up to $500,000 each to lead eight-month-long automotive focused programs to at least 500 students, the news release from the Ontario government states.

Each program is designed to address the unique needs of the region and ages of the students. According to the province programs can range from play-based learning for young children, to manufacturing robotics and mining workshops for those older.

The 14 projects will be led by:

• Actua
• Georgian College
• K2i Academy, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University
• Lambton College
• Laurentian University
• Mathstronauts
• Mohawk College, Marshall School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship
• Ontario Council for Technology Education
• Ontario Tech University
• St. Clair College
• University of Guelph
• University of Ottawa, Kanata North
• University of Toronto, Scarborough
• University of Waterloo

“Careers in Ontario’s auto sector offer life-changing opportunities, with good pay, pensions and benefits,” Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development, said. “Our government will continue to invest in innovative projects that help workers and jobseekers get the skills they need to land better jobs with bigger pay cheques in the auto industry.”