(TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2018) – Ontario’s colleges have launched a new online business program that teaches management and entrepreneurial skills to certified tradespeople who are looking to run their own businesses.
“This new initiative will enrich Ontario’s supply of qualified tradespeople,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “It will help close Ontario’s skills gap by fostering new businesses that lead to more opportunities for people to enter the trades.”
The new online business trades diploma is the first of its kind in Ontario. It is currently available through OntarioLearn for students who enrol through Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canadore College in North Bay and Lambton College in Sarnia. It will be expanded and available system-wide next year.
The completion program is available to tradespersons who possess a certificate of qualification. It allows them to develop business-related supervisory, management and entrepreneurial skills that are necessary to planning and managing a business.
The flexible program design allows tradespeople to complete their program on a part-time basis.
Ontario’s colleges continue to champion measures to allow more people to enrol in apprenticeship training and to successfully complete their programs. For example, colleges are encouraging the government to create a one-window application service to apprenticeship training by expanding the provincial application service for college students to include apprentices.
“Producing a more highly qualified workforce for the skilled trades is a top priority in Ontario,” said Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “We’re delighted that the province’s colleges are continuing to pursue innovative and effective ways to help more people find rewarding careers in the trades. We look forward to working with Colleges Ontario to help realize maximum success.”
About Colleges Ontario
Colleges Ontario is the advocacy organization for the province’s 24 public colleges. The organization advances policies and awareness campaigns to ensure Ontario produces the highly skilled workforce that is essential to Ontario’s prosperity. For more information, visit CollegesOntario.org.
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For more information:
Amy Dickson
Manager, Media Relations and Communications
Colleges Ontario
(647) 258-7686
dickson@collegesontario.org