Canada’s Ontario government has announced that it will provide USD 180.5 million for workers in the tourism and hospitality industry. The investment will help connect workers in this industry to training and new job opportunities.
This plan aims to help those affected by the pandemic
Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover includes a skilled trades strategy. It also includes an additional USD 100 million of investments through Employment Ontario for skills training. This is a redesigned Second Career programme. This further includes USD 59.5 million to gain in-demand skills.
John Yakabuski, MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, said, “These initiatives will help Ontarians seeking jobs obtain the skills and requirements they need. This training supports both workers and employers. It further addresses the gaps in skills training. If this is left unaddressed, it would be a significant obstacle for our province’s strong economic recovery.”
Between February and May 2020, around 1.6 million jobs were lost
Among those affected in the tourism industry, there are youth aged 15 to 24. There has been a strong recovery in jobs. However, unemployment in October still was 287,400 jobs below its pre-COVID-19 level.
Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance, said, “Now is the time to invest in retraining our workers. This in turn will make them ready to contribute to the recovery of our province. Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover will help job seekers. It will particularly help those hit hardest by COVID-19, to get the skills they need.”
The government is investing an additional USD 180.5 million to help workers upgrade their skills. This investment will be spread over three years in micro-credentials, employment services and training programmes.
Monty McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, said, “We are committed to taking action to support Ontario’s workers. We also are driven towards Ontario’s economic recovery. Our Skilled Trades Strategy will support businesses and help prepare people for jobs. It will do this by creating a flexible skilled trades and apprenticeship system. This will best prepare Ontario workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
Furthermore, Ontario was the first jurisdiction in Canada to establish a fiscal outlook that gave a deeper insight into the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in its March 25 Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19.
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