The United States isn’t the only country facing a critical shortage of skilled trades workers. Canada is, too—and the Canadian government is proposing a major initiative to change that.

The new program, called Team Canada Strong, would pump C$6 billion into training over the next five years, with a goal of training up to 100,000 new trades workers by 2031.  

Canadians ages 15-30 would be eligible for the program, which is designed to provide “paid, entry-level, trades-related work experience that leads into apprenticeship,” according to a press release from the federal government. 

Another proposal would encourage apprenticeship by subsidizing up to C$10,000 a year of an apprentice’s first-year salary.

Canada is also looking to speed up the process of earning Red Seal certification by providing online exams, digital logbooks and secure credentials. The Red Seal is highly sought after because it enables Canadian tradespeople to work in any province or territory without having to re-certify themselves. 

Other facets of the program include working with trade unions and the Canadian Armed Forces to encourage skilled trades training and jobs.

In addition to addressing the shortage of skilled tradespeople, the government is hoping to reduce the 14.1% unemployment rate for Canadians between the ages of 15-24.

If Team Canada Strong is enacted, it will be interesting to see if the government’s full-court press achieves its dual goals of increasing the number of skilled tradespeople, while lowering the unemployment rate for younger Canadians.