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JOBS Government Of Canada Invests In Skills Training For Workers And Job-Seekers In The Aerospace Sector

Wednesday, 16 November 2022 08:00.AM

The Canadian economy has made strides towards recovering from the pandemic, having achieved record low unemployment rates. However, significant skills and labour shortages continue to affect many sectors and investments in training are needed to re-build a strong and resilient workforce that can meet the demands of today's economy. Each sector of our economy is unique and often requires tailored approaches to workforce solutions and skills development to remain adaptable and responsive to the changing labour market.

Today, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Helena Jaczek, on behalf of Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced that the Government of Canada is providing over $39 million under the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) to the Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace (CCAA)'s Industry Led Training for the Aviation and Aerospace Sector project. This investment will support the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a new technical training and certification system for key occupations in aerospace. Up to 900 new and current aerospace workers in Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia will benefit from this investment.

This project will produce over 2,000 hours of new digitized training content that will offer employers the tools to provide on-the-job training for workers, from entry level up to full certification – the first of its kind in Canada. It will enable employers to use the college educational system, providing another pathway for workers to enter the aerospace sector. This investment will also provide wage subsidies to support on-the-job training, and wrap around supports, such as funding for childcare and transportation, to help workers overcome barriers, including Indigenous peoples, newcomers, persons with disabilities, racialized Canadians, women, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

First announced in Budget 2021, the SWSP helps key sectors of the economy implement solutions to address their current and emerging workforce needs by funding organizations to deliver projects that focus on a range of industry-driven activities. These include training and reskilling workers, helping employers retain and attract a skilled and diverse workforce and other creative solutions to help sectors address labour market needs. It will also support equity-deserving groups by promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce and providing wrap-around supports as needed to those facing barriers to participation.

"The labour market is rapidly growing and evolving, outpacing employers' abilities to find workers. Through our Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, we're addressing labour shortages in key sectors, like aviation and aerospace, by making sure that all Canadians, including women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, racialized Canadians and other marginalized people have the skills they need to seize emerging job opportunities in this innovative field. We're investing in the Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace so that they can continue to provide targeted support to Canadians across the country with unique, high quality training that will help them secure good jobs in the aerospace sector."
– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

Quick Facts

• As of fall 2022, Canadian employers were seeking to fill over 1 million job vacancies. A significant number of vacancies (243,400) are in the professional, scientific, technical, construction and manufacturing sectors, which were already seeing shortages before the pandemic
• It is anticipated that population aging and declining participation will exacerbate labour shortages over the long-term, with 600,000 workers that may retire over the next three years.
• By 2028, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace estimates that the aviation and aerospace industry will need an additional 58,000 workers in key skilled occupations.
• First announced in Budget 2021, the Government of Canada is investing up to $629.4 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, through the new Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, which will help workers and employers by supporting solutions to address current and emerging workforce needs in key sectors, including:
○ building talent for Canada's clean economy
○ supporting needs of workers and employers hardest hit by the pandemic
○ addressing challenges faced by in-demand health care occupations

SOURCE: Employment and Social Development Canada

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