I’d like to welcome, from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, executive director Stephanie Donaldson, Jennifer McIntyre, Shane Gonsalves; and from Wilfrid Laurier University, students Adam Sutherland, Justin Doolittle and Ranjit Saini. Welcome to your House.

My question is for the Minister of Education. With Ontario’s population growing rapidly and an increasing demand for workers in many sectors, we need to make sure that our students are properly equipped for the jobs of the future. Sadly, the previous Liberal government failed to update critical elements of the curriculum, which left too many young people unprepared for the emerging global economy.

Since taking office in 2018, our government has demonstrated unprecedented leadership in addressing these urgent needs. Our students deserve to learn fundamental concepts and skills that will prepare them for the workplace of tomorrow. Speaker, through you, can the minister please elaborate on how our government has updated Ontario’s education curriculum?

It’s projected that by 2026, approximately one in five job openings in Ontario will be in the skilled trades sector. That’s why our government must continue to make critical investments that will benefit our students for years to come and will help to strengthen the economy of tomorrow.

Speaker, through you, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to prepare students for careers in the skilled trades and technology sectors?