A recent report by the Canada West Foundation is calling on unions to provide training to help fill the growing skilled trades gap.
Billions of dollars are expected to be injected into Canadian infrastructure in the coming years and one local union is leading the way when it comes to getting workers ready.
LiUNA opened its training centre eight years ago in preparation for the construction of the Herb Gray Parkway and has been providing training ever since.
Rob Petroni is with LiUNA and says the union trains 17 apprentices every year, but would like to double that number.
He says it's all about making the members more valuable to contractors.
"The reason that we do the training is A, to increase our membership, but more importantly, the contractors that rely on us," says Petroni. "We do it as an added bonus to them so that when the people hit the job sites they have all their safety certificates and part of an apprenticeship program. The infrastructure in Canada is all the same age, pretty much, and it's all deteriorating at the same rate and now is the time that everything needs to be fixed. You just drive around Windsor and our area and you'll see the roads and sewers and all the work going on which is awesome, but it's a long time coming."
Petroni says nearly every trade is in need of qualified workers and LiUNA is currently looking to fill more than 300 positions.
The entire interview with Petroni can be heard on today's edition of The Afternoon News at 3:20pm.