Ontario's labour minister expressed a need to fill labour shortages during a visit to Sarnia on Monday.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton said since March of 2020, the number of unfilled jobs across the province has increased from about 200,000 to around 340,000.
McNaughton said he had a great day, alongside Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey, meeting with labour unions, tradespeople and employers.
"We have an ambitious agenda to build key infrastructure across the province and we need to ensure that we have the labour force in place to build this key infrastructure."
McNaughton said following last month's provincial election, the Ford Tories really want to hit the ground running. He said the government is building back a stronger province and ensuring Ontario has an economic recovery that works for everyone.
"And I think one of the greatest challenges we have as a province is filling labour shortages, ensuring that we have more people going into the skilled trades to grow businesses, to grow jobs in our area and to build that key infrastructure that we need going forward."
McNaughton and Bailey visited Sarnia Fire, Boilermakers Local 128, Operating Engineers Local 793, LiUNA Local 1089, Electrical Workers Local 530, pipefitters and welders at UA Local 663, and mechanical and industrial contractor Anderson-Webb.
"It was important for me to get down to Sarnia to meet with all of the different trades unions and tradespeople because they are certainly training the next generation of tradespeople that are going to work in our region and right across the province, and we are continuing to partner with our labour training centres and places like Lambton College."
McNaughton said he wants to promote that these careers are life-changing and well-paying.
"I think of my recent visit to the NOVA Chemical project -- 1,800 men and women are on that job site everyday, overwhelmingly the majority of them are making over six-figures with defined pensions and benefits."
He also highlighted the province's efforts to promote the trades in schools. McNaughton said starting this September, a reformed education curriculum will see skilled trades begin in Grade 1.
"We're sending dozens or recruiters into every single high school across the province to talk about the opportunities in the more than 140 different skilled trades that there are to choose from here in Ontario."
McNaughton has been Ontario's labour minister since 2019.
With files from Josh Boyce
