Ottawa is proposing a $6-billion national skilled trades effort after a federal minister highlighted apprenticeship and training supports at an Edmonton training centre.
The Team Canada Strong effort would recruit, train and hire between 80,000 and 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers over the next five years, according to a Prairies Economic Development Canada news release.
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The effort is meant to align with Canada’s housing, infrastructure and defence needs.
The measures were highlighted Friday by Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister responsible for PrairiesCan, at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 1325 training centre in Edmonton.
Under the proposal, Ottawa would deploy $2 billion to support young Canadians with paid, job-ready placements that lead directly into registered apprenticeships.
The proposal also includes launching the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service, which would provide up to $10,000 for an apprentice’s first-year salary, match apprentices to job opportunities and offer direct navigation and support to help employers hire, train and retain apprentices.
The Spring Economic Update also proposes $331 million over five years, starting in 2026–27, and $18 million ongoing to boost and modernize apprenticeship training and expedite Red Seal certification.
The training changes would include digitizing the Red Seal Program through online exams, digital logbooks and secure credentials, as well as creating a single national registered apprenticeship number.
Ottawa is also proposing to expand the Union Training and Innovation Program to allow union-run training centres to upgrade facilities, expand capacity and invest in modern equipment.
The proposal includes $3.4 billion over five years, starting in 2026–27, and $468 million ongoing to address challenges that can prevent apprentices from completing training and moving into permanent jobs.
The proposed supports include a one-time $5,000 apprenticeship completion bonus for people who obtain certification in a Red Seal trade. The proposal also includes a $400 weekly top-up through the Apprenticeship Training Grant while apprentices attend mandatory in-class technical training.
That would represent a total payment of up to $16,000 per apprentice, paid in addition to Employment Insurance. The update also includes student-support measures.
The Spring Economic Update proposes extending increases to Canada Student Grants and interest-free Canada Student Loans for the 2026–27 academic year.
The federal government says 571,000 students are expected to benefit from the increase to non-repayable grants, while 422,000 students could benefit from the weekly loan limit increase.
The release also points to Budget 2025 support for 175,000 placements in 2026–27 through Canada Summer Jobs, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy and the Student Work Placement Program.