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Ford government to allow Grade 11 students to start apprenticeships

The move is aimed at getting young people in the province trained more quickly to start careers in the skilled trades, as the government warns of worsening job shortages in fields like construction.

Published Mar 9, 2023 at 12:07am

Marco Vigliotti
By
Marco Vigliotti
Ford government to allow Grade 11 students to start apprenticeships
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, right, gets help from grade 11 student Shannon Williams, 16, as they practise plasma welding on a car hood while visiting St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Pickering, Ont., on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Under a new plan from the Ford government, Ontario students will soon be able to start full-time apprenticeships in the skilled trades as early as Grade 11 and still graduate with high school diplomas.

The move is aimed at getting young people in the province trained more quickly to start careers in the skilled trades, as the government warns of worsening job shortages in fields like construction.

“There’s no secret that Ontario is facing a historic labour shortage, with more than 380,000 jobs going unfilled every single day,” Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday at Pickering High School, where the new education plan was announced.

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