With ongoing economic uncertainty and persistent shortages in the skilled trades, Skills Ontario is urging the Government of Ontario to continue investing in skilled trades and technology promotion, training, and programming as it prepares the 2026 Economic Budget.

Skills Ontario acknowledged and commended the province for its existing investments aimed at building Ontario’s future workforce, emphasizing the critical role skilled professionals play across the economy.

“Ontario’s skilled professionals are essential to keeping our economy, healthcare system, and communities running,” said Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “With the continued support and partnership of the provincial government, we are successfully dispelling myths about the skilled trades and improving perceptions of these careers. More people now recognize their value and importance.”

To address ongoing workforce challenges, Skills Ontario is recommending multi-year funding commitments to expand efforts that encourage young people to pursue careers in skilled trades and technologies. Key recommendations include increased funding to support the development of a permanent Skilled Trades & Technology exploration facility that would showcase careers and serve as a training space for competitors, enhanced support for the Skills Ontario Competition—the largest skilled trades competition in Canada—and additional investment in the Skills Development Fund.

The need for action is significant. Ontario’s skilled trades shortage is estimated to be costing the province approximately $25 billion in lost GDP. A Conference Board of Canada study projects that more than 500,000 new skilled trades workers will be required by 2030 to meet demand. Critical sectors such as manufacturing, construction, health and safety, and advanced information technology are already experiencing growing labour gaps, with construction alone projected to face a shortfall of more than 100,000 skilled tradespeople over the next decade.

In a letter to Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, Skills Ontario also called on the province to continue supporting Ontario’s public colleges through increased funding. Sustaining and upgrading college infrastructure, the organization noted, is essential to ensuring institutions can deliver the skilled trades and technology training required to meet Ontario’s evolving labor market needs.