TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Schulich Builders: Scholarships for Skilled Trades, the largest skilled trade scholarship program in Canada, will support students pursuing their education in the skilled trades, and in its first year of operation, more than $3 million is committed to combat labour shortages and highlight the importance of skilled trades in Canada.

Humber College hosted an event to announce the record-breaking scholarship event at its North Campus. Ontario college students who represented team Canada at the 2022 WorldSkills Competitions, along with Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, and Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education were present to celebrate the skilled trades and support the announcement of The Schulich Foundation’s Schulich Builders: Scholarships for Skilled Trades program. 

According to the Ontario government, one in five job openings in Ontario are projected to be in skilled trades-related occupations by 2026. Ontario colleges are working to meet that demand by training the next generation of skilled tradespeople in fields ranging from carpentry and plumbing to baking and landscaping.

In addition to financial support, the program also provides leadership training and mentorship to set up graduates for success.  

Launched in 2023, Schulich Builders Scholarships will cover tuition, tools and living expenses for students enrolling in a skilled trade program at one of ten participating colleges in Ontario. Priority will be given to students nominated by their high school. Students may also apply directly through participating colleges: Algonquin, Centennial, Conestoga, Durham, Fanshawe, George Brown, Humber, Loyalist, Mohawk, and Sheridan.

Each college will award ten scholarships per year:

• Five $20,000 scholarships for one-year certificate programs, and
• Five $40,000 scholarships for two-year diploma programs. 

Additional information about Schulich Builders can be found at humber.ca/schulichbuilders and on schulichbuilders.com. 

QUOTES:

“We are proud to promote the skilled trades and support students pursuing this rewarding career path. Canadians rely heavily on the trades to build and maintain infrastructure critical for prosperous communities.  Our challenge today is not having enough of these talented people to meet the demand.”  
– Judy Schulich, executive vice-president, The Schulich Foundation

“Skilled trades are a critical part of driving the Ontario economy forward and Humber is proud to prepare students for these careers. We are pleased that The Schulich Foundation shares this commitment and is providing a competitive advantage to students pursuing these important jobs of tomorrow. As prominent leaders, The Schulich Foundation’s efforts will raise the profile for skilled trades occupations in Ontario.”
– Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber College

“The Schulich Builders scholarship will be a gamechanger for so many students, and supports our government’s ongoing work with business, labour, colleges and universities to attract more young people into the skilled trades. We’re bolstering our skilled workforce to build the roads, highways, schools and hospitals our growing population needs.”
– The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario

“Post-secondary education plays an instrumental role in preparing graduates for in-demand jobs. This investment in Ontario’s students is an investment in their future, and in turn will help build the skilled trades workforce that Ontario needs to thrive.”
– The Honourable Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities

“Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, which means when you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life. With Schulich Foundation’s skilled trade scholarship program, they are helping to attract and prepare a new generation of skilled trades workers here in Ontario for better jobs and bigger paycheques.”
– The Honourable Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

– 30 –

About The Schulich Foundation
The Schulich Foundation is one of Canada’s largest foundations, having donated in excess of $350 million. Seymour Schulich established and funded The Schulich Foundation. He holds Canada’s highest civilian award, the Order of Canada, and is among Canada’s greatest philanthropists. Having benefited greatly from a scholarship that enabled him to do his MBA, Mr. Schulich has built a well-earned reputation as a champion for education and access to education in Canada and around the world. The Schulich Foundation has endowed university faculties of business, engineering, medicine, law, education, music, chemistry, nursing and dentistry; libraries, dormitories, courtyards, medical health centers, lecture and music halls. Over 7,000 scholarships are awarded annually to students in Schulich Schools.
The Foundation’s largest initiative is the $200 million Schulich Leaders Scholarship, spanning 25 universities across Canada and Israel, in support of students pursuing STEM.

About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning 
Innovation. Opportunity. Partnership. Support. At Humber College, we bring it all to more than 86,000 learners, in-person and online. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber provides in-depth theoretical learning, hands-on, work-integrated experiences and applied research opportunities to students at three main Toronto locations and beyond. Extensive industry connections, experienced faculty and a comprehensive range of credentials, including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and certificates prepare career-ready global citizens for success in the future world of work. Visit humber.ca.                                          

For more information, please contact:
David Goodman
Vice President
The Schulich Foundation
dgoodman@schulichfoundation.org | 647.289.1950

Sylvie Lendvay
Media Relations and External Communications Specialist 
Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning 
sylvie.lendvay@humber.ca | 416.729.8940