Ontario Investing Over $74 Million Through Next Round of Skills Development Fund Capital Stream

January 23, 2025

Our Skills Development Fund (SDF) enables us to connect today’s students with the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople – the people who built this province into what it is today. That’s why our government is launching a second round of the SDF Capital Stream with an investment of over $74 million.

Building on the success of the SDF Capital Stream announced in 2023, Ontario will open a second round on November 29, 2024, with an enhanced, streamlined, and targeted application process that includes a new SEED pathway to help with the upfront costs of developing construction proposals, such as design drawings and technical plans.

As a further improvement, the Capital Stream will now also accept funding proposals all year round, which enables faster application reviews. 

SDF comprises two streams: the Training Stream supports hiring, training, and upskilling programs for jobseekers, apprentices, and workers; and the Capital Stream supports upgrades or construction of training centres for the skilled trades. The total investment for both streams is to up to $1.4 billion.

The government also announced today we are investing nearly $5 million from the first round of the SDF Capital Stream with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) to build a new crane training facility for over 1,600 workers in Oro-Medonte.