Mohawk College president MaryLynn West-Moynes was at Queen's Park yesterday to hear the good news for herself: a budget that puts value on retraining workers and boosting apprenticeships.

That value is $1.5 billion -- the amount the province announced it was setting aside for its three-year Skills to Jobs Action Plan.

"Colleges, industry and business have been telling the province for three years we need investment in apprenticeships and skilled labour," she said. "We need highly skilled workers with great career opportunities. It's a good budget."

The plan calls for training unemployed workers for new careers, expanding apprenticeships and building more spaces in colleges and universities. About 20,000 unemployed workers will get long-term training for new careers through a $355-million Second Career Strategy as part of the action plan.

However, Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, a provincewide parent lobby group, said she would have liked to have seen the government "make the link" between design and technology courses for grades 7 and 8 students in its Skills-to-Jobs Action Plan. The province axed the program a few years ago.

More details on the $18.8-billion budget for elementary and secondary schools are expected today.

West-Moynes was also buoyed by the announcement of more student aid and a textbook grant for post-secondary students, which provides $150 each starting this fall, going up to $225 next year.

But Jen Hassum, chair of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, said it doesn't address the needs of post-secondary students.

She said tuition fees and student debt have risen more than four times faster than the rate of inflation. "When thousands of Ontario students signed petitions calling for debt relief, a $150 textbook voucher wasn't what they had in mind."

It's unclear how $200 million set aside for university facilities renewal will be spent, as well as the $250 million over five years for investment in research infrastructure.

McMaster University president Peter George said: "Today's investments, together with previously announced campus renewal funding, will ensure that Ontario universities have the modern facilities to educate students and conduct research."

With files from Hamilton Spectator staff and wire services.

lmarr@thespec.com

905-526-3992

Highlights of the education budget

Some of the spending was previously announced by the provincial government.

Elementary/secondary schools:

* double funding with a $32-million, three-year commitment to student nutrition programs. The program currently receives $8.5 million a year serving 400,000 school children;

* $750 million to build new schools and repair school facilities;

* $57 million for safe and positive school environments, including $10 million in new funding for high schools in urban communities;

* $8 million to literacy and numeracy in 2008-09;

* $10 million for 160 additional library staff and resources;

* $16 million for expansion to Pathways to Education, that aims to increase number of at-risk youth finishing high school or proceeding to postsecondary studies or into workforce;

* $10 million in English as a Second Language training;

* $67 million in special needs funding;

* $2 million for parenting and family literacy centres;

* $10 million to boost arts, music, physical education and outdoor education programs;

* $13 million for community use of schools program -- allow free or subsidized use of schools, existing program is $20 million, will double in 2009-10;

* $3 million for environmental education, environmental awareness in school planning.

College/university:

* $465 million to expand postsecondary student aid and programs;

* $385 million over three years for an annual textbook and technology grant to help every full-time university and college student. Grants will begin with $150 per student this fall, jumping to $225 in fall 2009 and $300 in subsequent years;

* $200 million in 2007-08 for maintenance and renewal of university facilities;

* $200 million over three years for new and expanded skills training centres under the Strategic Skills Training Capital Investments program;

* $60 million over three years for the College Equipment and Renewal Fund;

* more than $7 million over three years to International Ontario Strategy to attract talented postsecondary students from around the world, raising levels of research excellence;

* more than $1 million over three years for Global Edge, a program that facilitates international work and learning opportunities for postsecondary students.

With files from Meredith MacLeod,