Mark Carney’s Liberals to cover costs of apprenticeship training for skilled trades workers

Oakville, ON – In the face of President Trump’s tariffs, we need to build Canada strong. That starts by supporting our workers. The work of bricklayers, crane operators, welders, and others are essential in building the future of Canada – and a Mark Carney government will invest in their futures.

Today, Mark Carney announced a plan to cover apprenticeship training costs of up to $8,000 and to create more training opportunities in the skilled trades, so more Canadian workers can join these professions and secure higher-paying careers.

“The next decades are going to be a great time to be in the skilled trades,” said Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. “President Trump’s tariffs are already impacting Canadian industry, but by investing in workers, we will build a much stronger economy. My new government will make apprenticeship training more affordable so we can build more in this country and connect workers to higher-paying jobs.”

A Mark Carney-led government will provide an Apprenticeship Grant of up to $8,000 for registered apprentices. This will remove a key financial barrier to skills training.

We will also:

• Increase access to union-led training initiatives by doubling the funding of the Union Training and Innovation Program from $25 million to $50 million annually;
• Establish a new $20 million capital funding stream for colleges to support new training spaces for apprenticeships;
• Uphold the Apprenticeship Service program to support employers in hiring new apprentices in Red Seal trades, with up to $10,000 for eligible employers for each new apprentice hired;
• Increase labour mobility for skilled trades people between provinces and territories through the vital work of breaking down internal trade barriers; and
• Expand the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction to ensure workers who travel more than 120 km from their home to a job site can deduct more of their expenses, and commit to significantly increasing the per-year tax deduction limit.

A Mark Carney-led government will stand strong against President Trump’s tariffs, create new jobs, cut taxes for the middle class, and build the fastest growing economy in the G7. Liberals will build Canada strong.

Backgrounder

Building Canada strong starts with our workers; bricklayers, crane operators, welders, and many more are the essential workers building the future of Canada, from homes to schools and infrastructure. Skilled trades workers are the driving force of economic prosperity.

In the face of President Trump’s tariffs, we need to fight for Canadian workers. A key part of that fight is building one Canadian economy and accelerating nationally recognized credentials so that qualified workers can work anywhere in Canada.

A Mark Carney-led Liberal Government will build up Canada’s skilled trades workforce by:

• Providing a new Apprenticeship Grant of up to $8,000 for registered apprentices. Should the apprentice not complete their program within established timelines, the grant converts to an interest-free loan. This is in addition to the $20,000 interest-free Canada Apprentice Loans available to apprentices progressing through training. We will work with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities to raise awareness of the new grant.
• Increasing access to union-led training initiatives by doubling the funding of the Union Training and Innovation Program from $25 million to $50 million. This  funding will now support investments in training spaces and classrooms.
• Establishing a new $20 million capital funding stream for colleges to support new training spaces, such as classrooms, for apprenticeships. We will also work with provinces and territories to increase operating funding for trade colleges, building on the successes of jurisdictions such as Québec, which has been a leader in funding of apprenticeship and vocational training, as well as strategic workplace apprenticeships.
• Upholding the Apprenticeship Service program to support employers in hiring new apprentices in Red Seal trades, with up to $10,000 for eligible employers for each new apprentice hired.
• Increasing labour mobility for skilled trades people between provinces and territories to address labour shortages. We will build one Canadian economy – instead of thirteen – where qualified workers can work anywhere in Canada.
• Expanding the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction to ensure workers who travel more than 120 km from their home to a job site can deduct more of their expenses. We are also committed to significantly increasing the per-year tax deduction limit upon consultation with key industries.

Mark Carney previously committed that every dollar the government will collect from retaliatory tariffs will go to support workers and today’s announcement reaffirms our commitment to support them.