‘Wanted all of it to be a success’: Skilled Trades Institute in Georgina gets axed

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development currently investigating ‘integrity of the program in question’

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 17, 2022
Amanda Persico

The province is no longer funding the Georgina Trades Training Inc.’s residential construction school -- the Skilled Trades Institute.

On paper, the Skilled Trades Institute (STI) was a great idea -- teaching pre-apprenticeship students how to build new homes while actually building new homes.

The plan was to build about 70 modular homes that were to be sold for affordable housing.

Hammers in hand, more than 200 students applied for the first 100 spots offered in January 2021.

The free course was designed to provide a well-rounded education where students were to learn several different residential construction trades over the course of about six months.

“I was over the moon to get in and build,” said a student enrolled in the first STI cohort, who spoke to YorkRegion.com on the condition of anonymity.

“It became pretty clear that was not going to happen.”

Learning that the province didn’t renew the funding didn’t come as a surprise either, he added.

There were several red flags, from last-minute location changes and instructor turnover to lack of cohesive cross-training between skilled trades.

“I should have been further along in my trade,” said the STI graduate, who has since found employment.

“That time in class was so valuable. I wanted all of it to be a success. It’s disheartening the program will not continue.”

GTTI was originally awarded $4 million in provincial funding from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development for a one-six month STI cohort, which was later extended to the end of 2021.

“Funding was not pulled in the sense that funding was secured and lost; it was received for a specified period of time,” said GTTI director Carr Hatch.

While the STI was a program offered by GTTI, the two schools were separate entities, Hatch clarified, and GTTI programming continues, he added.

Unable to secure funding for future STI cohorts, the institute laid off its instructors at the end of 2021. Co-ordinators and administrative staff remain employed, securing work placements for graduates, Hatch said.

Provincial funding was contingent on specific targets and was closely tied to student success.

As of November 2021, about 80 per cent of first cohort graduates were still employed in their particular field, said former STI chairperson Bil Trainor.

By December, there were changes in leadership at STI and Trainor was no longer affiliated with the school.

Trainor deferred further questions to the GTTI executive committee.

As several students found employment and left the program early, concerns were raised about STI graduation rates.

As a result, provincial funding will not be renewed, said ministry spokesperson Harry Godfrey.

“The organization has not met any of the agreed upon targets with the ministry relating the number of students completing the program as well as those securing job placements,” Godfrey said in a statement.

Opportunities with other organizations will be provided for STI students who wish to complete their training, he added.

In fact, over the past several years, provincial funding has shifted in favour of the skilled trades. And there are a number of successful training initiatives and pre-apprenticeship programs in York Region, Godfrey said.

STI opened its doors during the provincewide lockdown with a mix of online and limited in-person classes.

And the pandemic certainly “played a part and affected the outcome” of the program, Hatch said.

“The program was funded to build affordable housing in the area,” Hatch said. “The pandemic affected the cost of building materials and the price of land, causing the affordable housing to be unaffordable.”

“The termination of the ministry’s contract is not due to funding constraints brought on by COVID-19 or any other factor,” Godfrey said.

“But is solely as a result of the serious concerns that arose as to the integrity of the program in question, which we are currently investigating.”

“We are not aware of any such incompetence,” Hatch said.

In 2020, the town approved $2.6 million for the construction of the STI campus on Metro Road.

As the specific program is cancelled, the funds will not be granted, said Mayor Margaret Quirk.

The town recently loaned GTTI about $158,000 to pay outstanding invoices incurred by STI.