March 18, 2022 Halifax, Nova Scotia Employment and Social Development Canada
Now more than ever, skilled tradespeople are in high demand to fill well-paying jobs and build rewarding careers. The most recent projections estimate about 700,000 skilled trades workers are expected to retire between 2019 and 2028, creating an ever-growing need to recruit and train thousands more. That is why the Government of Canada is making targeted investments to remove barriers and get more Canadians the apprenticeship training they need to build good, well-paying careers in the skilled trades.
Today, Lena Metlege Diab, Member of Parliament for Halifax West, on behalf of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced $43,453 in funding to International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 39 for its Building Blocks: Training for the Future project. The project will seek to address the training gap within the labour force of Glazier and Drywall Tapers in Lakeside, NS. MP Lena Metlege Diab also announced $39,395 in funding to Local Unionworkers 625 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for its Renewable Energy Photovoltaic Training project. The project will seek to address new technologies in the field of renewable solar energy with Photovoltaic Training within the electrical trade industry.
These projects are funded through the Union Training and Innovation Program's (UTIP) Stream 1 to help unions across Canada improve the quality of training through investments in equipment and materials.
The UTIP supports union-based apprenticeship training and works to: improve the quality of training in the trades; address barriers limiting participation and success in trades training careers; and enhance partnerships between stakeholders. Through the UTIP the Government is helping equity-deserving groups to succeed in the trades, such as women, Indigenous people, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities, get the support they need to enter, progress and become certified in well-paying jobs in the Red Seal trades.
To highlight the value of skilled trades workers and the wide range of supports available to build a successful and fulfilling career in the trades, the Government recently launched an advertising campaign to promote the skilled trades as first choice careers for young people and diverse populations. The campaign website Canada.ca/skilled-trades provides Canadians with information about what the skilled trades are, how to become a tradesperson, and what financial supports are available to them while in training.
