Feds announce $247 million for apprentice training at Halifax conference

With labour shortages looming throughout the nation, Carla Qualtrough, the minister of employment, workforce improvement and incapacity inclusion, on Monday introduced the expenditure of $247 million to coach apprentices. 

Qualtrough made the announcement in Halifax, the place she addressed the Nationwide Apprenticeship Convention. 

“Labour shortages are, in my view, the most important menace to Canada reaching its full financial potential,” the minister informed a whole bunch of delegates on the Halifax Conference Centre. 

“We’ve recovered the entire jobs we had earlier than the pandemic; in reality, we’ve recovered 115 per cent of the roles. We’re in a very good place economically and the long run is brilliant for the Canadian financial system. There are, after all, new challenges that include this.” 

The federal funding will go to 13 tasks that can allow small and medium-sized employers (SMEs) to supply apprenticeship coaching alternatives. The minister’s spokesperson couldn’t say how a lot of the cash might be spent within the Atlantic area, however among the $27 million going to the Canadian Institute of Metal Building to rent new, first-year apprentices might be allotted in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. 

The Constructing and Building Trades Division is getting $48 million to assist 5,000 first-year Pink Seal commerce apprentices progress by way of coaching and acquire certification. A portion might be spent in Nova Scotia.  

Qualtrough mentioned Canada has the bottom stage of unemployment since that statistic began being stored, however that financial progress is starting to outpace the power of some employers to search out staff. 

“The expert trades are on the centre of this query,” she mentioned. 

“Few sectors are as important, not solely to our financial system, however to on a regular basis life.” 

The minister mentioned 700,000 expert trades staff are anticipated to retire by 2028, however that just one in 15 highschool college students plans to pursue a profession within the expert trades. 

Now, SMEs with 499 or fewer paid staff are eligible for funding of $5,000 for every new, first-year apprentice employed, with a most of two apprentices per yr. The cash can be utilized to pay for upfront prices resembling salaries and coaching.  

Individuals with disabilities are under-employed in Canada. The Alternatives Fund is an opportunity for employers to vary that, to faucet into this wealthy pool of expertise, and develop their workforce for the higher. pic.twitter.com/Z59jUngpy1

— Carla Qualtrough (@CQualtro) May 30, 2022

Whereas on the town, Qualtrough additionally introduced the expenditure of $270 million to assist individuals with disabilities discover significant employment. There’s alternative in that untapped labour pool, she mentioned. 

“That is one of the simplest ways to develop our workforce, by making it extra inclusive,” mentioned the minister, who’s visually impaired. 

“To spice up variety within the Pink Seal trades, the motivation might be doubled, to $10,000 for employers who rent from fairness deserving teams, particularly ladies, individuals with disabilities, Indigenous individuals, members of the LGBTQ2+ communities, newcomers and visual minorities, together with Black and different racialized communities. 

“Individuals with disabilities typically spend our whole lives drawback fixing and being modern and inventive. It simply naturally makes you an worker able to be put into the sport.” 

 Fast Info  

• About 700,000 expert trades staff in Canada are anticipated to retire by 2028. To fulfill the demand for expert journeypersons in Pink Seal trades, a mean of round 75,000 new apprentices will should be employed per yr within the subsequent 5 years. Fields most prone to not assembly the demand embody welder, industrial mechanic (millwright), bricklayer, boilermaker, prepare dinner and hairstylist.  
• The development business must recruit 309,000 new staff over the following decade, mainly due to the anticipated retirement of 259,100 staff, which quantities to 22 per cent of the present labour power.  
• Almost $1 billion is spent yearly in apprenticeship helps by way of grants, loans, tax credit, Employment Insurance coverage advantages throughout in-school coaching, mission funding and assist for the Pink Seal program.  
• The federal government launched an promoting marketing campaign this yr to advertise expert trades as first-choice careers for younger individuals.