Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae recently announced new funding to help train new municipal equipment operators.
Rae made the announcement in Middlesex County alongside Steve Pinsonneault, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, on September 27.
The announcement was for $1.3 million to support the Association of Ontario Road Supervisors and its efforts to train the next generation of municipal equipment operators. The funding is coming from the provincial government's Skills Development Fund.
Rae shared in the official release that the Skills Development Fund is "open to a wide range of applicants, including employers, industry associations, labour unions, municipalities, hospitals and many more."
The release also claims that since launching in 2021, the Skills Development Fund has "helped connect more than half a million jobseekers with the skills and training they need to find well-paying and fulfilling careers."
“This invest will ensure that our municipalities have the staff they require to keep our public infrastructure safe and operational,” MPP Rae said. “Our provincial government will continue to make these important invests to support both urban and rural municipalities in the training and retention of municipal equipment operators.”
“I'm proud to see the Ontario government investing in programs such as the Skills Development Fund,” MPP Pinsonneault added. “By providing access to valuable training, we are fostering a skilled workforce that is crucial for the growth and safety of our communities and province.”
“Municipalities are not immune to the labour shortages of skilled workers, and they are already starting to see the impacts in the public works departments,” shared John Maheu, Executive Director of the Association of Ontario Road Supervisors. “Municipal equipment operators build and maintain the core infrastructure that our communities depend on every day, and having the support of the Ford government through the Skills Development Fund to develop and implement the Municipal Equipment Operator course is essential to the health and safety of communities across the Province.”