Government of Canada Invests Additional $2 Billion to Expand Skilled Trades Training
What You Need to Know
This afternoon, Minister Hajdu announced an additional $2 billion investment through Team Canada Strong, which will be delivered through new bilateral agreements to help expand trades training centres and pathways to Red Seal trades. Agreements and funding are expected to be in place in 2026–27, subject to negotiation. This investment will:
Increase access to pre-apprenticeship and technical training.
Address barriers that slow down training and certification.
Help eliminate waitlists for apprenticeship and Red Seal training programs.
Improve access to training aligned with in-demand trades and support higher completion rates.
The new funding builds on the $6 billion already announced under Team Canada Strong through the Spring Economic Update 2026. This supports the broader goals of Team Canada Strong, which aims to recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over the next five years, helping build more homes, infrastructure and the defence capabilities Canada needs.
Please amplify the attached shareables! For more information, see today’s news release.
Key Messages
The world of work is rapidly changing, and Canada needs a skilled, adaptable, and highly trained workforce to seize the opportunities ahead.
Meeting this challenge requires a Team Canada approach; one that brings together all levels of government, employers, unions, and training institutions to build the workforce Canada needs.
That is why today [July 16], the federal government announced $2 Billion over five years to support provinces and territories expand training capacity and pathways to Red Seal trades across Canada.
This investment will help:
Eliminate apprenticeship training waitlists;
Increase access to training in high-demand trades;
Reduce delays and backlogs for apprenticeship certification; and
Support the hiring of up to 100,000 Red Seal trades workers.
This builds on our Team Canada Strong plan, which committed $6 Billion to support Canada’s skilled trades workforce by equipping them with the tools, training, and support they need.
Together, we are building a stronger workforce, a stronger economy, and a stronger Canada.
