My question is for the Minister of Education. Speaker, parents in Ontario need certainty. They need certainty that their children will be in school learning the foundations of reading, writing and math, uninterrupted by the threat of strikes. I, like many parents, was disappointed to hear that some teacher unions have rejected our plan to keep students in schools by way of interest arbitration. Instead, some teachers’ unions have chosen a strike mandate that has left Ontario parents in a state of uncertainty and threatens their children with disruptions to their education.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is standing up for our students and working to keep our students in class?

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is ensuring that students have the support they need for a school year free from any disruption?

Thank you to the member for asking such an important question. Our government recognizes that addressing labour shortages head-on starts with post-secondary education. That is why we continue to support and promote our Ontario colleges skilled trades and apprenticeship programs across the province.

To further enhance opportunities for college students to enter the workforce with job-ready skills, our government expanded the degrees that colleges can offer to now include new three-year degrees and more four-year degrees. Our government also invested over $60 million in funding to support Ontario’s first micro-credentials strategy and made them OSAP eligible, to help workers from all backgrounds upgrade their skills. All these measures were unsupported by the Liberals and NDP.

As Ontario faces a growing labour shortage in the skilled trades, we are making the necessary adjustments for students to enter skilled trades programs because, Speaker, when you have a job in a trade, you have a job for life.

Speaker, that’s why events like Jill of All Trades, hosted at Centennial College, are so important. I am excited to be attending this event tomorrow for the second year in a row with my colleagues. These events provide opportunities for high school girls to experience rewarding career options in the trades and teaches them that the skilled trades are a promising option for them.

Speaker, it’s projected that one in five new job openings in Toronto is likely to be the skilled trades sector by 2025. That is why I am proud that our government is giving women and all students the flexible access they need to pursue innovative training that leads to rewarding careers.