As President Trump’s tariffs create economic uncertainty and threaten Ontario workers and businesses, our Ontario PC team is investing in the next generation and preparing young people for rewarding, good-paying careers.
That means giving students the skills, training and opportunities they need to succeed while building the workforce Ontario needs to keep our economy strong and competitive.
Creating Pathways into the Skilled Trades
Ontario needs more skilled workers to build the homes, roads, transit, hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure our growing province needs.
That’s why we’re investing $41.5 million through the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program to help more young people get hands-on experience and start careers in the skilled trades.
This includes 64 pre-apprenticeship projects focused primarily on young people and opportunities for nearly 22,000 students through OYAP.
We’re also bringing back Level Up! Skilled Trades Career Fairs for a fifth year, giving students across the province the chance to explore exciting careers in the trades. More than 57,000 people participated last year, and we’re building on that success to introduce even more young people to these opportunities.
Investing in High-Demand Careers
Our Ontario PC team is also making a major investment in postsecondary education to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.
Through a new $6.4 billion long-term funding model, we’re investing $1.7 billion to create more than 70,000 additional seats in high-demand programs at publicly assisted colleges and universities.
These new opportunities will focus on areas where Ontario needs workers most, including STEM, health care, skilled trades and education.
It’s part of our plan to build one of the most competitive workforces in the G7 and ensure Ontario students have the skills they need to land rewarding careers right here at home.
Putting Student Achievement First
As students and teachers head back to school, we’re also delivering record investments in publicly funded education while putting the focus back where it belongs: student achievement.
For the 2026-27 school year, we’re providing $30.6 billion in Core Education Funding and opening 35 new and expanded schools this fall.
That’s part of our nearly $30 billion, 10-year plan to build, expand and renew schools across Ontario, while making school boards more accountable and focused on student success.
While President Trump targets our economy with tariffs, our Ontario PC team is protecting Ontario by investing in our workers, our students and our future.
With our $236 billion infrastructure plan creating opportunities across the province, we’re making sure the next generation has the skills and training they need to build Ontario and strengthen Canada for decades to come.
We’re not slowing down. We’re building.