Question Period Note: APPRENTICESHIP AND THE SKILLED TRADES

What is the Government of Canada doing to support apprenticeship and the skilled trades?

Our Government invests nearly $1 billion annually in a variety of supports for apprentices, tradespeople, employers and unions.

The new Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy aims to support a trades workforce that is skilled, inclusive, certified and productive.

We are also advancing a new Union Training and Innovation Program sustainable jobs stream to support the development of green skills training for up to 20,000 skilled trades workers.

These investments aim to ensure that Canada has the skilled workforce required to drive economic growth.

If pressed on labour shortages in the skilled trades

Our Government understands the important role trades workers play in building our homes, powering our cities and maintaining our infrastructure.

Our Government also understands that Canada needs a highly skilled, inclusive, certified and productive trades workforce in order to seize new economic opportunities in the clean economy.

That is why our Government is taking decisive action and investing in Canada’s skilled trades workforce. For example, in August 2023, we launched a call for proposals to invest $25 million in apprenticeship training in the Red Seal trades to ensure Canadians develop the skills they need to get indemand good paying jobs.

The Government recently launched a Call for Proposals (on August 11, 2023) under the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy to fund projects that aim to improve the quality of training through investments in training equipment and materials for apprentices in Red Seal trades. This latest Call for Proposals will provide $25.0 million in funding in 20232024 to unions—as well as organizations managing training trust funds for unions representing workers in the Red Seal trades, and training providers—in order to purchase equipment and materials that will ultimately support approximately 25,000 apprentices in Red Seal trades over three years.

The 2022 Fall Economic Statement proposed to provide $250 million over five years starting in 2023-2024 to Employment and Social Development Canada to help ensure Canadian workers can thrive in a changing global economy. One of the measures includes a new sustainable jobs stream under the Union Training and Innovation Program. Funded projects through this stream will support unions in leading the development of green skills training for workers in the trades. It is expected that 20,000 apprentices and journeypersons would benefit from this investment.

Budget 2022 announced $84.2 million over four years to double funding for the Union Training and Innovation Program. Each year, the new funding will help 3,500 apprentices from equity-deserving groups begin and succeed in skilled trades careers through mentorship, career services, and job-matching.

Announced in Budget 2021, the Apprenticeship Service, a temporary pilot project which will inform future programming, is an investment of $470 million over three years, beginning in 2021-2022. This initiative aims to help up to 55,000 first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades connect with job opportunities with small and medium-sized employers (SMEs). It provides financial incentives and other supports to SMEs that hire apprentices, especially from equity-deserving groups.

Announced in Budget 2019, the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy provides a framework for federal apprenticeship initiatives that support a trades workforce that is skilled, inclusive, certified and productive. It builds on the success of apprenticeship measures such as the Union Training and Innovation Program, the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program, the Apprenticeship Grants, and the Apprenticeship Service, and supports apprentices, employers, tradespeople and individuals.

Apprenticeship supports includes grants, loans, tax credits, Employment Insurance benefits during in-school training, project funding, and support for the Red Seal Program.

“Canada’s workforce needs more skilled trade workers. Demographic shifts and high retirement rates are fueling demand and an ever-growing need to recruit and train thousands more Canadians in the skilled trades. That’s why the Government of Canada is investing nearly $1 billion in apprenticeship supports through grants, loans, tax credits, Employment Insurance benefits during in-school training, project funding, and support for the Red Seal program.”

Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

“Commitments like a new sustainable job stream under the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP)…are steps in the right direction. We look forward to making sure we integrate the delivery of training for the new jobs of the future with our 195 training centres across the country”

Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions