Federal Government Expands Skilled Trades and Electricity Workforce Initiatives

The federal government has announced a series of significant investments and initiatives aimed at expanding Canada’s skilled trades workforce. These measures are particularly relevant to EFC members as Canada works to build the workforce needed to support growing electricity demand, grid modernization, infrastructure investment and electrification.

In May, the federal government announced Team Canada Strong, initially committing $6 billion to recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers over five years.

The initiative includes a number of measures designed to increase participation in the skilled trades, accelerate apprenticeship training and help employers recruit and retain apprentices.

One initiative of particular interest to employers is the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service, which will provide up to $10,000 toward an apprentice’s first-year salary, help match apprentices with job opportunities, and provide navigation and support to employers hiring, training and retaining apprentices.

In July, the government announced an additional $2 billion for new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories, bringing the federal Team Canada Strong investment to $8 billion.

This additional funding is intended to expand access to pre-apprenticeship and technical training, increase training capacity, address barriers that can delay training and certification, reduce apprenticeship and Red Seal training waitlists, and improve completion rates.

EFC encourages members to review the federal announcements, as there are a number of additional programs and supports that may be relevant to employers and the electrical industry.

In September, the federal government announced the creation of the Energy and Electricity Workforce Alliance, with a specific focus on addressing workforce requirements across Canada’s energy and electricity sectors.

The Alliance will bring together employers, workers, educators, Indigenous partners and industry organizations to focus on three key areas:

The Alliance will work to identify pressing labour market challenges, better align workforce investments and activities, and develop sector-specific solutions to build sustainable talent pipelines.

Following the announcement, EFC reached out to the Alliance to ensure that Canada’s electrical and automation industry is represented in this work.

EFC has been invited to participate as a stakeholder, and the Alliance will be looking to EFC and our members for input on its three areas of focus.

This is an important opportunity to ensure workforce planning considers the full electricity value chain,  including the manufacturers, distributors, technical specialists and service organizations that supply the equipment, technologies and expertise required to expand and modernize Canada’s electricity system.

EFC will continue to keep members informed as this work progresses and will seek member input as opportunities for consultation with the Alliance become available.