This week is National Skilled Trades and Technology Week, and we’re celebrating the real people building Ontario’s future through ApprenticeSearch.com’s Gateway to the Trades, funded by Ontario’s Skills Development Fund.

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When Mustafa joined ApprenticeSearch.com’s Gateway to the Trades program, funded by Ontario’s Skills Development Fund (SDF), he was stuck — applying everywhere and getting nowhere.

“I applied to over 100 jobs and heard nothing,” he shared.

Mustafa’s experience is not unique. Across Ontario, employers continue to report challenges finding entry-level skilled workers, even as motivated job seekers struggle to break into the trades. That gap between readiness and opportunity is exactly what Gateway to the Trades was designed to bridge.

Through one-on-one coaching, workplace readiness training, and support with essential gear, Gateway helped Mustafa gain the skills and confidence to step into a meaningful career in the skilled trades.

“This program has quite literally changed my life,” Mustafa said. “I wasn’t given the chance to do co-op, but Gateway taught me everything about the workplace — even how to show up prepared. I now have an apprenticeship and feel secure in my future.”

Today, Mustafa is working as an apprentice in the skilled trades — gaining hands-on experience, learning on the job, and building a career with long-term potential.

Ontario’s skilled trades sector continues to expand, with tens of thousands of new apprentices needed to replace retiring workers and meet future labour market demand. Programs like Gateway to the Trades are ensuring more people like Mustafa have the chance to take that first step — and thrive.

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Every story like this is part of a much bigger picture. Through ApprenticeSearch.com’s Gateway to the Trades, more than 1,480 people have been hired into skilled trades roles, and over 650 have started apprenticeships across Ontario.

The program helps remove real barriers — from the cost of safety gear and tools to the confidence gap that comes with starting something new. Participants get coaching, certifications, and support that help them not only get hired but stay employed.

With an 80% employment rate and over $1.3 million in industry contributions leveraged to date, Gateway continues to show that when we invest in people, good things happen — for job seekers, employers, and Ontario’s skilled trades community.

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