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OTTAWA – Ontario is facing a shortage of electricians and the Ontario government is responding by investing more than $13 million to provide free training and paid electricians’ apprenticeships for more than 2,500 individuals who are unemployed or looking to earn more money.

The investment is for  across Ontario, two of which are being delivered by the Ontario Electrical Industry Training Trust Fund which is training nearly 300 people for jobs as construction and industrial electricians and cabling specialists.

The training focuses on safety, best practices for installation, and other crucial skills for electricians, states a release, adding at the end of the program, participants will be offered employment.

The government’s investment will also go toward financial incentives that encourage employers to hire more apprentices and promote the electrical trades to underrepresented groups.

The funding is part of Ontario’s over $200 million Skills Development Fund, launched to support innovative training projects that upskill workers and connect them to lucrative careers in their communities, adds the release.

“This funding announcement will help apprentices access the best training possible to address the growing need by employers for Network Cabling Specialists,” said James Barry, executive secretary treasurer, IBEW CCO, in a statement. “As technology continues to evolve, this in-demand trade not only provides a fulfilling career for young people and underrepresented populations, but their skills will be critical to helping build and sustain Ontario’s infrastructure well into the future.”