Ontario investing in $25M state-of-the-art crane training facility in Oro-Medonte

Ontario Premier Doug Ford stopped in Simcoe County on Tuesday morning to announce a $5 million injection to help address the workforce gap in skilled trades.

Ford visited a construction site along Highway 11 in Oro-Medonte that will be the future site of a $25 million state-of-the-art training facility for more than 1,600 jobseekers.

“This new facility is going to be incredible. I can’t wait to come back when it’s finished,” Ford said.

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The investment is being made through the the second round of the province’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream.

The new facility will include simulation labs, workshops, classrooms, and an outdoor training area for tower cranes to train apprentices in mobile and tower crane operation, along with heavy equipment.

Ford was joined by David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

“With one in three tradespeople retiring over the coming years, we must pass on the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of workers,” the minister stated.

Mike Gallagher with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) took to the podium to emphasis the need for specialized training.

“In our trade, there is zero room for error. Lives depend on the work that we do, including our own lives,” said Gallagher. “So right here on this site, we’re going to be training the very best of the best operators to ensure that the sites, whether that be carpenters, labourers, pipefitters, whoever it is that our members are working with can feel safe and are going to be able to return home at the end of the day.”

“We like to say when you have a job in the skilled trades, you have a job for life," Ford added.

There was no timeline provided for when construction would begin or an anticipated completion date.