This program will provide up to 150 Experiential Work Placements for candidates that meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Work placements will run from 10 to 16 weeks. Consecutive placements will be permitted if they can be completed by March 20, 2026.

Applications will be accepted between March 31, 2025, and January 12, 2026, and will be assessed on a first-come first-served basis until all funds have been fully allocated.

An experiential work placement program for the machine, tool, die, mould and automation sector

The Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA) is pleased to announce this very successful program has been extended for another year! It is designed to help more people increase their skills for great job opportunities in the precision metalworking sector, which includes machining, tool & die making, mould making, jig & fixture building, automation/robotics, additive manufacturing, and other related businesses.

The Career-Ready with CTMA: Expanding Opportunities program provides non-repayable contributions to eligible employers to subsidize the wages of new hires or the upskilling of existing employees that meet the program’s eligibility criteria. The program is designed to support experiential learning opportunities, which is a hands-on learning model where participants learn by doing. The goal is to provide participants with real-world work experience that improves their employability by building their knowledge and skills.

THE PROGRAM AIMS TO:

Support employers in building a talent pipeline by introducing participants to careers in the precision metalworking sector.

• Support talent growth and attract the next generation of workers.
• Provide participants with practical on-the-job learning experiences that will help launch their careers in the precision metalworking sector.
• Improve linkages between secondary schools, post-secondary institutions, job seekers and employers.
• Support employers by helping offset some of the costs associated with hiring and developing workplace skills.

CTMA WILL:

• Support the creation of 150 Experiential Work Placements in the precision metalworking sector for new apprentices, high school graduates, post-secondary graduates or co-op students, job seekers looking for full-time employment, and existing employees looking to upskill.
• Coordinate interviews and placements for eligible candidates with member companies and other eligible employers in Ontario.

Through the second part of this program, the CTMA, in partnership with the Ontario Council for Technology Education (OCTE), the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada, and school boards throughout Ontario, has provided new high-tech machinery and tools to 137 high schools throughout the province.

The machinery ranges from CNC milling centres, lathes, and plasma cutters, to CNC desktop milling machines, high precision conventional milling machines, lathes with readouts, and more.

As a result, more than 10,000 students have been exposed to and have benefitted from this machinery. Of the 10,000 students, more than 3,500 have begun industry-related co-ops or apprenticeships.

So far, the Career-Ready with CTMA program has provided more than 1,500 experiential work placements and installed high-tech machinery in 137 schools throughout Ontario.

Brought to you by the CTMA in partnership with:

This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.