PCA Supports Ontario Budget Measures that Focus on Infrastructure and Skills Development

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The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA), whose members build major capital and infrastructure projects across Canada, commends the Ford government for new funding for infrastructure, and the Skills Development Fund, to help strengthen the economy and Ontario’s skilled construction workforce.

“These are the kinds of investments that will help get our workers, our members, and our communities through today’s economic challenges,” said Karen Renkema, VP Ontario at PCA. “We appreciate the continued focus on skills training and infrastructure as measures to help steer Ontario’s economy through the roller coaster trade war with the U.S.”

Budget 2025, called “A Plan to Protect Ontario” increases capital spending with $33 billion earmarked in 2025/26 for major infrastructure projects like highway expansion, hospitals, long-term care facilities and schools over the next decade. Other highlights include:

Investing an additional $1 billion over three years in the Skills Development Fund which helps jobs seekers, including apprentices, get the skills they need to advance their careers. Our labour partner CLAC, and some PCA members have been the recipients of previous SDF grants which have funded innovative training programs.

  • $159.3 million over three years to support ongoing growth and program stability in various skilled trades programs, including expansion of the In-Class Enhancement Fund to increase the number of training seats for Level 1 apprentices.
  • $75 million over three years to create up to 2,600 new seats annually in priority construction-related post-secondary programs (beyond apprenticeship).
  • $3-billion in loan guarantees for Indigenous partnerships, which now include energy, pipelines and critical minerals projects.

“The investment in the In-Class Enhancement Fund to train apprentices will make a difference, as long as this funding is available to all training providers, especially regional colleges, who provide in-class training for the vast majority of our members’ apprentices across Ontario,” added Renkema.

Ontario’s record $232.5 billion budget projects a deficit of $14.6 billion, and predicts a small surplus in 2027/28, a year later than planned.