December 9, 2025 Ottawa, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada
The Government of Canada is building one strong Canadian economy. To do so, Canada needs skilled trades workers to develop major infrastructure and build millions more homes. That means the newest generation of builders must get proper training.
Today, the Honourable John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour), announced close to $9 million in funding for the Building and Construction Trades Department, commonly referred to as Canada's Building Trades Unions. The project will include the development, delivery and evaluation of green training for unionized and non-unionized sheet metal apprentices and journeypersons. The development of this training program will help 2,000 sheet metal workers become better equipped for the transition to a low-carbon economy.
This project is funded by the Union Training and Innovation Program's Sustainable Jobs stream under the Government's Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, which also complements investments in the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund that help thousands of workers to upgrade or gain the new skills required for a green economy.
Today's announcement is part of the Government's response to the skilled trades workforce's most pressing needs. Budget 2025 has proposed a $75 million expansion of the Union Training and Innovation Program over three years, which will further boost union-based apprenticeship training in the Red Seal trades.
