My question is to the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility. June is Seniors Month in Ontario and I was honoured to have the minister and his parliamentary assistant in my community last Friday to kick off Seniors Month at my seniors’ Community Connections Expo held in Newmarket.

Seniors’ Month is a time to recognize the contribution of seniors in our province and to respect and celebrate the work that seniors have done and what they are doing in our communities. The theme for 2023 is “Working for Seniors.” Our government is making great progress in helping seniors to stay independent, active and socially connected. However, it is vital to the health and well-being of Ontario’s seniors that our government continues to support initiatives that will help to keep our older adults engaged in their communities.

Speaker, can the minister please explain the importance of Seniors Month and how it helps to properly recognize the contributions of seniors in our communities?

My question is for the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity. It is encouraging to hear that our government is continuing to focus on initiatives that are providing women with opportunities for greater economic empowerment.

However, there are still areas of concern that need to be addressed. The number of women employed in technology-related careers as well as in the skilled trades occupations are well below their male counterparts. The reality is that women only currently account for 5% of the skilled trades workforce. With more than 100,000 unfilled skilled trades jobs right now, it is critical that our government does all that we can do to attract more women to pursue these in-demand and rewarding careers.

Speaker, can the associate minister please elaborate on how our government is helping women to develop the skills they need to gain financial security?