How Team Canada Strong and new investments in apprenticeships, skills training, and workforce development are helping build Canada’s future workforce.
“The world of work is changing fast, and Canadians, particularly youth, are feeling it. These are challenging times, but the Government of Canada is acting with urgency and purpose to ensure Canadians can access good jobs and build lasting careers. At the same time, demand is growing rapidly: Canada will need an estimated 1.4 million skilled workers by 2033 to build homes, deliver major infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and support industries. Simply put: this is a good time to get into the skilled trades.
To meet this moment, the Government of Canada is taking a comprehensive approach to strengthen workforce participation and expand economic opportunity. At the centre of this effort is Team Canada Strong; a national plan to recruit, train, and hire up to 100,000 Red Seals in the next five years. This initiative will deliver end-to-end support that helps young Canadians every step of the way: from first interest to first apprenticeship, to certification in a Red Seal trade, Team Canada Strong will:
- Recruit: $2 billion over five years, with $262 million ongoing, to increase the number of young people who are ready to take up the challenge of a good career in the skilled trades by:
- providing young Canadians aged 15-30 with paid, entry-level, trades-related work experience that can lead into apprenticeship; and
- Helping employers hire and train apprentices through the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service by: providing wage subsidies of up to $10,000 for their first-year salary, matching apprentices to job opportunities and offering hands-on navigation and support.
- Train: $331 million over five years, with $18 million ongoing, fixing Red Seal certification delays and improving nationwide consistency and doubling our investment in the Union Training and Innovation program to allow union-run training centres upgrade their facilities, expand capacity, and invest in modern equipment for workers.
- Hire: $3.4 billion over five years, with $468 million ongoing, to address the challenges that can stop apprentices from completing their training and moving into permanent jobs:
- The new Apprenticeship Training Grant, which will provide apprentices with a weekly income top-up of $400 while they are attending mandatory in class technical training, paid in addition to Employment Insurance; and
- Rewarding completion and accelerating certification with the new Apprenticeship completion bonus – a one-time $5,000 bonus to apprentices obtaining certification in a Red Seal trade.
These efforts are reinforced through the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, along with complementary supports such as the Canada Apprentice Loans, tax credits, and deductions that help offset the cost of training and mobility.
We also recognize that building a strong workforce means ensuring no one is left behind. That is why the Federal Government is taking targeted action to improve access for those who experience systemic barriers to the workforce. This includes initiatives like the Women in the Skilled Trades Initiative and the Union Training and Innovation Program to support recruitment, retention, and career advancement for women and other underrepresented groups. In addition, the Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities is designed to help close the employment gap by 2040 through investments in skills development, employment opportunities, and inclusive programming.
Beyond the skilled trades, the Government is also connecting young people to valuable work experience. Through programs like Canada Summer Jobs, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy and the Student Work Placement Program, we are creating over 175,000 new work opportunities for young Canadians this year alone.
At the same time, we know that workforce participation depends on broader support. Investments in a Canada-wide early learning and child care system, totaling over $58 billion, are making child care more accessible, enabling more parents, particularly mothers, to enter and remain in the workforce while supporting stronger economic growth.
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment, where collaboration is essential to the work ahead. The Government of Canada’s largest investment in skills training and employment is through $3 billion that is provided to provinces and territories annually to help Canadians receive localised support to get the training, upskilling and support they need to thrive.
We are also aligning efforts across the country through Workforce Alliances, which bring together employers, unions, industry leaders, educators, and Indigenous partners to identify workforce needs, skill gaps, and coordinate training in key sectors including:
- Housing and Construction,
- Transportation and Supply Chains,
- Advanced Manufacturing,
- The Care Economy,
- Mining and Minerals,
- and Energy and Electricity.
Together, we are building a workforce strategy that is responsive, inclusive, and grounded in real labour market needs. This is how we build Canada strong.”
