February 6, 2026 Port Coquitlam, British Columbia 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 $10 million in funding for the BC Construction Industry Skills Improvement Council, commonly referred to as SkillPlan. This project will support Canada's climate and low-carbon economy goals by developing, implementing and evaluating a national energy assessment training program for the insulator (heat and frost) Red Seal trade.
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.
