By Mike Anderson

The Skills Training Centre (STC), formerly known as Georgina Trades Training Inc. (GTTI), has suspended its programming for three months. 

According to a media release on November 21, STC, located at 5207 Baseline Rd. in Sutton, has begun winding down its programming. Students currently enrolled in programs will be able to finish. However, programming will end on November 29. 

The break will allow STC to develop new partnerships and funding sources, as the envrionment for the delivery and funding of skills training has changed with the launch of Skills Trades Ontario, a provincial crown agency, in 2022. 

“While I am sad to see the need for this break in our long-running and continuous programming, it is the prudent option,” said Anne Peg, a founding board member, in the media release. 

STC will also use the time to refocus its programming to respond to the changing needs of the local business community. 

“We are exploring options that will address the needs of some new businesses coming into our catchment area requiring logistics and e-commerce competencies,” said Board Vice-Chair Iain Donnell. 

While the non-profit organization has provided skills training to more than 13,000 students since its inception in 2006 and recently expanded to service York Region, Durham and the GTA, it has sometimes struggled to secure stable government funding. The STC website lists the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) as one of its principal partners, along with the Town of Georgina. 

GTTI, before it rebranded as Skills Training Centre in 2023, received a $175,000 OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant in 2022, intended to help non-profits, like GTTI, rebuild and recover from the impacts of the Covid pandemic. 

“Our government is proud to be investing in GTTI’s innovative learning programs that support workers and families in getting the skills they need for better-paying jobs,” said MPP Caroline Mulroney after she announced the grant in February 2023. 

However, when the Post contacted MPP Mulroney’s constituency office to inquire about STC’s current provincial funding status, a spokesperson declined to comment referring us back to the non-profit’s board. 

STC also requested $80,000 in 2025 grant funding from the Town of Georgina. However, the Town reduced that request to $35,290, which is conditional on STC obtaining provincial funding and the Town reviewing its updated budget and financials. 

Anyone wishing to contact STC during the 3-month closure should email: inquiry@skillstc.ca. 

Mike Anderson
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