Fleming College

Fleming College is welcoming the provincial government’s announcement today of budget investments to support the education, training and retraining of the workforce.“A well-educated and highly skilled workforce is essential to Ontario’s prosperity,” said Dr. Tony Tilly, President of Fleming College. “The budget investments into the education and training of our workforce will help more businesses and industries to compete, and help more people to fulfil their potential and find meaningful and well-paying jobs.”The government will invest $1.5 billion over three years in the Skills to Jobs Action Plan, which will feature training for new job opportunities. $355 million of that will be invested over three years in a Second Career Strategy. This strategy will help an estimated 20,000 unemployed workers make the transition to new careers and well-paying jobs in growing areas of the economy. The 2008 Ontario Budget announcements also include $75 million over three years to expand apprenticeship programs and $45 million over three years for state-of-the-art equipment for apprenticeships. Another $60 million over three years for equipment renewal and new funding for capital improvements translates to an estimated $2 million in funding for Fleming College. The budget also includes investments for student aid and supports, and investments to support international students and students from remote or rural areas. The budget announcements are particularly important as Ontario addresses the skills shortage. Some sectors are currently struggling to find qualified employees and this situation will intensify in the years ahead as Baby Boomers retire. The Conference Board of Canada estimates Ontario faces a shortage of more than 360,000 skilled employees by 2025. This could escalate to a shortage of more than 560,000 skilled employees by 2030.“The government has correctly identified the skills shortage as a priority in Ontario. This budget recognizes Ontario must produce greater numbers of college graduates to meet the workforce challenges throughout our economy,” said Dr. Tilly.“While it is still early to determine the direct implications these new provincial initiatives will have on Fleming College, we look forward to working with the Government of Ontario on the skills agenda and new opportunities for education and retraining.”     – 30 -For more information: Laura Copeland, Communications Officer, 705-749-5530 ext. 1370 or copeland@flemingc.on.ca