Skills training centre expansion in Cambridge now complete

The Government of Ontario marked the completion of a major training centre expansion in Cambridge. Supported by an investment of more than $8.8 million through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream, LiUNA Local 837’s training centre will help train up to 5,000 additional apprentices and construction workers over the next five years.

“To deliver on our government’s historic $236 billion plan to build, Ontario will need 400,000 more skilled trade workers over the next decade,” said Premier Ford. “This state-of-the-art training centre will connect young people and job seekers in Cambridge and Waterloo Region with the in-demand skills they need to land good-paying careers in construction and build a stronger Ontario for all of us.”

Through this investment, LiUNA Local 837 renovated existing classroom space at its 330 Industrial Road facility and constructed a new 23,791-square-foot expansion. The upgraded centre features a cutting-edge equipment lab and simulator space, including virtual reality technology that allows apprentices to safely train in realistic job site conditions and build hands-on skills before entering the field.

“Canada has hospitals to build, highways to expand and homes that families desperately need, and none of it happens without our skilled tradespeople,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “By investing in modern, world-class training facilities like this, we are helping workers build rewarding careers in the skilled trades while ensuring Ontario has the workforce it needs to build, grow and deliver critical nation-building projects.”

To date, Ontario has invested $128.7 million through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream to expand and modernize training facilities across the province.

“Training is the foundation of everything we build, and today, that foundation gets even stronger. With support from the Ontario government and the leadership of Labour Minister David Piccini, we mark the official expansion of a state-of-the-art Training and Education Campus in Cambridge, advancing LiUNA’s leadership in training and up-skilling the workforce that builds this province,” said Nick Ciccone, Training Director, LiUNA Local 837. “This is a direct investment in workers, in safety and in the future of our industry, delivering modern training, real opportunity and a local workforce ready to get shovels in the ground and projects moving across the region.”

Featured image: (Government of Ontario)