PRIME MINISTER CARNEY ADVOCATES FOR SKILLED TRADES
A mid a tightly contested federal election, newly appointed Prime Minister and Liberal Party of Canada leader Mark Carney made a significant campaign stop at the IUOE Local 793 head office and training facility in Oakville on April 5, just weeks before voters headed to the polls. Carney’s visit came as his government’s economic agenda faces its biggest challenge. At the event, Carney unveiled a series of new initiatives to strengthen Canada’s workforce and bolster the country’s skilled trades sector. As tariffs imposed by the Trump administration continue to wreak havoc on Canadian industries, skilled trades and workers have became a critical focus in the election, as both parties presented competing visions for the future of Canada’s economy. Carney emphasized that his government would build up Canada’s skilled trades workforce by introducing a new apprenticeship grant of up to $8,000. The initiative also includes targeted efforts to work with Indigenous communities to raise awareness of these new opportunities. “The next decades are going to be a great time to be in the skilled trades,” Carney stated. “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.”
New Liberal promises also included a significant boost to the Union Training and Innovation Program, doubling its funding from $25 million to $50 million.
“The next decades are going to be a great time to be in the skilled trades.” - PM Mark Carney
Carney’s government also plans to expand a labour mobility tax deduction to help workers who travel over 120 kilometres (approximately 75 miles) from their homes to job sites, providing them with greater financial relief amid rising costs of living. “Our task as a nation over the coming weeks and months and years is to think bigger, and to act bigger, to build Canada strong. That starts right here. That starts by investing in our workers, who are essential to the future of Canada.” Business Manager Mike Gallagher took the opportunity to endorse Carney and the Liberal Party. “Mark Carney brings invaluable economic experience
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