Question Period Note: MAJOR PROJECTS WORKFORCE

Following the establishment of the Major Projects Office, how is the Government of Canada continuing to ensure the workforce is ready and able to support these projects?

Major Projects will stimulate economic growth and create good jobs across Canada.

ESDC is working in close collaboration with our skills and training partners, including the Major Projects Office, to ensure Canadian workers have the skills to seize these opportunities.

This includes measures that will benefit workers, including mid-career and long-tenured workers affected by U.S. tariffs and global market shifts, as well as underrepresented groups, such as persons with disabilities, women and Indigenous Peoples.

Our government is committed to protecting and supporting workers during this period of uncertainty and change with one labour market.

We will advance new opportunities among a one economy agenda and invest to ensure Canadians have the skills for in demand jobs.

If pressed on ESDC Workforce measures in support of Major Projects

On September 5, the Prime Minister announced a suite of workforce initiatives, including the launch of new Workforce Alliances, to address labour needs in sectors under pressure and those with growth potential, and in alignment with the mandate of the Major Projects Office.

Existing ESDC programs such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund already support workforce capacity and can be leveraged to help meet MPO project objectives and timelines.

As the Government acts to reduce immigration numbers, it is more important than ever that Canada plan and act to ensure the domestic workforce can access the skills and training needed to both contribute to and gain from the economic growth offered by major projects.

Indigenous labour market participation and sustained attachment are critical to the success of nation-building projects. ESDC’s distinctions-based, co-developed approach supports Indigenous-led solutions to address barriers to employment and meet local and regional needs can be leveraged to support project delivery and ensure that benefits are shared broadly across communities.

On September 5, the Prime Minister announced a suite of workforce initiatives. These include:

A new reskilling package delivered through Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) with provinces and territories will train and support up to 50,000 workers ($450M over three years). It will target mid-career and long-tenured workers, as well as underrepresented groups including women, Indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities.

Modernization of the Job Bank platform and launch of a national training platform will auto-enroll EI claimants with their skills profiles to improve job matching, and add smarter, real-time information, using AI tools to help users more easily navigate and find jobs and training courses by skill type, location, and format ($50M over five years).

New Workforce Alliances with employers/industry groups, workers, and training institutions will address labour pressures in sectors under strain (e.g. auto parts, steel, aluminum) and those with growth potential (e.g. energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing).

A new, flexible Sectoral Workforce Investment Fund will support region and sector-specific projects, including in rural and remote areas ($382M over five years and $56M ongoing for both the Alliances and the Fund).

Beyond these announcements, recent improvements under a joint federal-provincial-territorial Labour Mobility Action Plan are actively reducing barriers through immediate and longer-term measures, including a 30-day service standard for application processing.

Work is also underway to help grow the skilled trades workforce in partnership with PTs and labour groups. This will help to provide training and spaces for apprentices, youth and other groups to gain the valuable skills needed to advance the objectives of the Major Project Office in the coming months and build the trades workforce for the future.

KEY FACTS

The Major Projects Office (MPO) was established to accelerate approvals, financing, and delivery of projects of national interest in close partnership with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and private investors. These projects include clean power, housing, ports, and critical minerals, and their success depends on a workforce that is trained, mobile, and available as projects move forward.

The MPO is also supported by a newly appointed Indigenous Advisory Council, that will ensure that partnership and Indigenous economic participation are embedded in major projects advanced in Canada.

On September 11, the Prime Minister announced that the first series of projects were being referred to the MPO for consideration.

ESDC is a key player in supporting the workforce essential to the delivery of nation-building projects, particularly through enabling skills matching and skills training aligned with industry needs. The projected need for nearly 1.4 million new skilled tradespeople by 2033 underscores the urgency of aligning training pipelines with project timelines.