Creating opportunities to enter the trades

Last week, MPP Stephen Blais visited All Pro Electric, a proud Orléans-owned company participating in Ontario’s Skills Development Fund. During the visit, he met with participants at the company’s training facility, individuals who are gaining a meaningful opportunity to build careers in the skilled trades close to home, with an employer invested in their long-term success. The visit highlighted the dedication of trainees working hard to secure stable futures for themselves and their families.

Programs like the one at All Pro Electric reflect what the Skills Development Fund is intended to achieve: supporting local businesses in training the next generation of electricians, plumbers, and other in-demand tradespeople. When funding reaches reputable employers in communities like Orléans, where proper training leads directly to real jobs, workers, families, and the local economy all benefit.

At the same time, MPP Blais has raised concerns about how the program has been administered provincially. The Auditor General has identified serious issues, including political interference in funding decisions and a lack of transparency and fairness in the approval process. Media reports have also revealed that millions of dollars from the fund were directed toward a Toronto venue now operating as an adult entertainment club, an outcome that many Ontarians would not associate with skills training.

MPP Blais has been clear in his position: Ontario needs more investments like the one at All Pro Electric, and less political favouritism. The Skills Development Fund serves an important purpose, particularly as the province confronts skilled trades shortages and youth unemployment. However, public dollars must be allocated where they genuinely help people gain credentials, secure employment, and build careers. Not where they benefit well-connected insiders.

He will continue advocating for strong oversight, greater transparency, and increased support for legitimate training opportunities in communities like Orléans, ensuring funds are directed to responsible employers, hard-working trainees, and sustainable jobs.