Federal Government Announces Major Support for Apprentices, Union Training, and Skilled Trades Infrastructure

Canada cannot build the future without skilled trades workers.

$225 million to expand union-led training centres.
$3.4 billion to help apprentices complete training.
Up to $16,000 in new apprenticeship grants.
A $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus.
$1 billion in employer wage supports.
Modernization of the national Red Seal system.

As governments across the country talk about housing, major infrastructure, clean energy, resource development, transmission lines, and nation-building projects, one thing is clear: none of it gets built without trained, qualified, Red Seal tradespeople.

That is why the recent federal announcement in the 2026 Spring Economic Update is important for IBEW 993 members, apprentices, employers, and training centres across the country.

The Government of Canada has announced a major skilled trades investment under its Team Canada Strong plan. The goal is to help recruit, train, and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2030-31. The federal government has also stated that Canada will need more than 1.4 million additional trades workers by 2033, and could face a shortage of more than 20,000 skilled trades workers per year if action is not taken.

For the construction industry, this is a major announcement. For IBEW 993, it confirms what we have been saying for years: if Canada is serious about building, Canada must be serious about apprenticeship, training, and supporting the workers who will actually do the work.

It also reflects the kind of work that happens when labour has a seat at the table. Across Canada, building trades representatives have continued to raise the importance of apprenticeship supports, union training infrastructure, and long-term workforce planning. IBEW 993 Business Manager Jim Bicknell has been part of those ongoing conversations through his work representing our Local and our members.

These investments do not happen in isolation. They come from years of advocacy by unions, training providers, employers, and workers who understand that skilled trades training is central to Canada’s ability to build.

Direct Support for Apprentices

One of the most important parts of the announcement is new direct financial support for apprentices while they are attending mandatory in-class technical training.

The federal government is proposing a new Apprenticeship Training Grant that would provide apprentices with a $400 per week income top-up while they are in mandatory technical training. This support could provide up to $16,000 per apprentice over the course of their apprenticeship, and would be paid in addition to Employment Insurance.

This matters. Every apprentice knows that going to school can be financially difficult. Apprentices often leave a steady paycheque to attend technical training, while still having rent, mortgages, groceries, fuel, insurance, family costs, and other bills to pay. For many apprentices, that financial pressure can be one of the biggest barriers to completing their apprenticeship.

Jim Bicknell, Business Manager of IBEW 993

A $400 weekly top-up during school will help apprentices stay focused on their training instead of worrying about whether they can afford to be there.

The announcement also includes a proposed one-time $5,000 completion bonus for apprentices who obtain certification in a Red Seal trade.

This is another important step. Starting an apprenticeship is important, but completing an apprenticeship is what creates a certified journeyperson. Canada does not just need more people entering the trades. Canada needs more people finishing their training, earning their ticket, and becoming the skilled workers who can train the next generation.

For IBEW 993, this aligns directly with the work our Local does every day: helping apprentices get started, helping them stay connected to the trade, and helping them complete their pathway to becoming qualified electricians.

Support for Employers Hiring Apprentices

The federal plan also includes support for employers who hire and train apprentices.

Through the proposed Build Canada Apprenticeship Service, small and medium-sized employers could receive wage subsidies of up to $10,000 to help them hire, train, and retain first-year apprentices.

This is important because employers play a direct role in whether apprentices get the hours, experience, supervision, and mentorship they need. When employers are encouraged to hire apprentices, and when unions and training providers are part of that system, the entire construction industry benefits.

For IBEW 993, this kind of support can help create more opportunities for apprentices across our jurisdiction, especially as major projects continue to grow in Northern British Columbia, the Interior, and the Yukon.

UTIP Funding and Union Training Centres

The announcement also includes important support for union training.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions highlighted the federal government’s commitment to the Union Training and Innovation Program, commonly known as UTIP. CBTU stated that the announcement includes $225 million over five years for a new UTIP funding stream to support brick-and-mortar training infrastructure for skilled trades.

This is a major recognition of the role union training centres play in Canada’s construction industry.

Union training centres do more than teach theory. They provide hands-on training, mentorship, safety training, upgrade training, and access to the tools and technology apprentices and journeypersons need to succeed in a changing industry.

For electrical workers, training does not stand still. New technology, new codes, renewable energy, industrial work, battery storage, instrumentation, controls, automation, electric vehicle infrastructure, transmission, distribution, and major project work all require properly funded training.

Investment in training centres means better facilities, better equipment, and better opportunities for apprentices and members to develop the skills needed on modern jobsites.

It is also important for locals like IBEW 993, where training and workforce readiness are directly connected to the future of work in our jurisdiction. As major projects move forward, having modern training capacity will be essential to making sure local workers and apprentices are prepared for the opportunities ahead.

Building Canada Means Training the Workers Who Build Canada

This announcement is about more than numbers on a page.

It is about recognizing that Canada’s future depends on skilled trades workers. Housing does not get built without tradespeople. Mines do not operate without tradespeople. Hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, power lines, energy projects, and industrial facilities do not get built without tradespeople.

Everyone says now is the time to build. This announcement shows that the federal government understands that building Canada requires investing in the people who actually do the work.

For IBEW 993, this is especially important. Our jurisdiction includes some of the most important resource, energy, infrastructure, and construction opportunities in the country. Power lines need to go east and west, as well as north. Major projects in our jurisdiction will require skilled electrical workers, strong apprenticeship systems, and training that keeps pace with the work.

IBEW 993’s presence in these discussions matters. When our Local is represented in conversations with labour, industry, and government, the realities of our jurisdiction are better understood. The needs of our apprentices, our members, our contractors, and our communities are part of the larger conversation about how Canada gets built.

The federal government’s announcement on apprentice supports, completion bonuses, employer incentives, UTIP funding, and training centre infrastructure is a step in the right direction. It is also a reminder that steady advocacy from the labour movement makes a difference.

IBEW 993 will continue to advocate for apprentices, journeypersons, union training, and the skilled workforce needed to build the future of Canada. Under the leadership of Business Manager Jim Bicknell, our Local will continue working to make sure IBEW 993 members, apprentices, and communities are ready for the largest nation-building effort Canada has ever seen.