Ottawa opens up $430M for training facilities, equipment in skilled trades
The federal government plans to spend $430 million over the next five years to help unions train a new generation of skilled trades workers.
Ottawa is opening applications today for access to the new pool of funding, most which comes through an expansion to the Union Training and Innovation Program.
The federal government says in a news release that unions and training providers will be able to apply for extra capital to expand their training facilities and other infrastructure starting next spring.
A separate application stream will temporarily boost federal contributions to help eligible organizations cover the cost of training equipment.
A third stream will fund unions' proposals for innovative ways to attract, recruit and support trainees before and throughout the apprenticeship process.
Nearly half of today's funding announcement is accounted for in a previous Liberal government pledge to spend $8 billion to recruit and train up to 100,000 new skilled trades workers in the next five years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
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