Canada will spend $9M on green apprenticeship training

Key Takeaways:

• The Government of Canada is providing close to $9 million to fund green apprenticeship training for sheet metal workers, helping them transition to low-carbon construction practices
• The initiative is part of the Union Training and Innovation Program’s Sustainable Jobs stream and supports both unionized and non-unionized apprentices and journeypersons, addressing skilled trades shortages
• The program is expected to support around 29,000 Red Seal trade workers over five years and help prepare the workforce for over 410,000 projected construction job openings by 2033

The Whole Story:

The Government of Canada announced close to $9 million in funding Tuesday for green apprenticeship training aimed at sheet metal workers, part of a broader push to develop skilled trades for infrastructure and housing construction.

The funding, announced by John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour), will support the Building and Construction Trades Department in developing, delivering and evaluating green training for unionized and non-unionized sheet metal apprentices and journeypersons. The program is expected to help 2,000 sheet metal workers transition to a low-carbon economy.

The project is funded through the Union Training and Innovation Program’s Sustainable Jobs stream under the Government’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, which complements the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund.

“To build major infrastructure and create rewarding careers for Canadians, the Government of Canada is investing in skilled trades training. We are building Canada strong, and we are doing it here at home,” Zerucelli said in a news release.

The announcement is part of the Government’s response to workforce shortages in the skilled trades. Budget 2025 has proposed a $75 million expansion of the Union Training and Innovation Program over three years to boost union-based apprenticeship training in Red Seal trades.

Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Union, said in the release: “Unionized skilled tradespeople are driving Canada’s transition to a stronger, more resilient economy, and today’s announcement gives our members the power to lead it. This is about good careers, real opportunity and a workforce ready to build Canada.”

Starting in 2025–2026, the UTIP Sustainable Jobs stream is expected to support approximately 29,000 workers in Red Seal trades over five years. Since 2017, the program has supported over 145,000 participants, including 28,813 in 2023–2024.

The Government estimates that by 2033, there will be more than 410,000 job openings for skilled trades in the construction sector alone, including 189,000 from retirement. Nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support goes toward making trades training more accessible through loans, project funding, tax credits and deductions, and Employment Insurance benefits.