Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ontario is funding 3,586 additional postsecondary seats at Brock University and Niagara College, including new spaces in skilled trades, STEM, health and education programs.
The $76-million allocation is part of a broader $1.7-billion Priority Growth Fund supporting more than 70,000 new seats at publicly assisted colleges and universities.
Niagara College will receive funding for 1,021 additional seats, including 263 in trades, 230 in STEM, 346 in health programs and 182 in education.
Brock University will receive funding for 2,565 new seats, with 1,183 in STEM programs, 801 in health and 581 in education.
New seats will be available for enrolment as early as the fall 2026 academic year.
For the construction sector, the expansion includes additional training capacity in skilled trades, as Ontario continues to face demand for workers needed to build housing, infrastructure and other major projects.
Colleges and universities developed proposals based on their institutional capacity, local industry needs, regional labour-market conditions and student demand. More than 1,000 letters of support from employers were submitted for expansions in high-demand programs.
Funding is part of Ontario’s $6.4-billion postsecondary funding model, which includes $1.7 billion for the additional seats.
The government announced funding for the first 30,000 seats in May and subsequently launched a call for proposals for the remaining 40,000.
Ontario has identified skilled trades, STEM, health care and education among the areas where additional graduates are needed to meet labour-market demand.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has also identified skilled-worker shortages as a concern for businesses.
“At the Ontario Chamber, we hear every day from businesses facing skills shortages. Strengthening Ontario’s talent pipeline is critical to our competitiveness and today’s investment will help ensure employers can find the skilled workers they need to grow,” said Daniel Tisch, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
