Glazing contractors across Canada facing a shortage of qualified installers and fabricators now have a new federal funding lever to pull. The federal government plans to spend $430 million over the next five years to help unions train a new generation of skilled trades workers, according to a Daily Commercial News report.
John Zerucelli, secretary of state for labour, announced Thursday that Ottawa is opening applications for the funding pool, most of which comes from an expansion to the Union Training and Innovation Program launched in 2017. The program will now offer three application streams aimed at training facilities, equipment and innovative recruitment.
Federal funding opens for training infrastructure
According to the federal government's news release, as reported by the Daily Commercial News, unions and training providers will be able to apply for extra capital to expand their training facilities and other infrastructure. Expressions of interest are open until Nov. 12, and the government is looking for shovel-ready projects that can begin next spring.
The government is also now accepting ongoing applications to offset the cost of training equipment and is temporarily boosting the share it covers to 70 per cent, up from 50 per cent previously. A third application stream will fund unions' proposals for innovative ways to attract, recruit and support trainees before and throughout the apprenticeship process. Organizations with pitches can submit a proposal to the government by Dec. 17.
Nearly half of today's funding announcement is accounted for in a previous Liberal government pledge to spend $8 billion to recruit and train up to 100,000 new skilled trades workers over the next five years, the report noted. The Liberal government has focused on the skilled trades over the past year as it pursues an ambitious infrastructure agenda.
Zerucelli said in a media statement that Canada needs more workers to build homes, infrastructure and major projects to boost the economy. "That's why we're investing in apprenticeship training facilities, modern equipment, and new approaches to training, giving more Canadians the opportunity to learn a trade, develop their skills and build Canada's future," he said.
A second federal fund targets critical sectors
The glazing training announcement came a day before the federal government rolled out a second funding stream. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced plans to spend up to $258.6 million over the next five years to train workers in critical sectors, with annual funding of $50 million in the years to follow, according to a separate Daily Commercial News report.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the creation of a Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund a little over a year ago, and the government opened applications for the program in August. The fund aims to fill the gaps between workers' skills and industry requirements in sectors like energy or critical minerals by funding projects that could speed up training or certification.
Hajdu's announcement comes a day after Ottawa unveiled $430 million in spending to help unions and other organizations cover costs for new training facilities and equipment. The Liberals have announced billions of dollars in spending to train up to 100,000 new skilled workers over the next half decade to support the government's ambitious infrastructure agenda, the report said.
Ontario's skilled trades shortage frames the challenge
The federal funding arrives as Ontario construction demand outpaces the supply of qualified workers. Georgian College's From Insight to Impact report, launched Oct. 13 at the Barrie Campus, estimates that nearly 947,000 college-educated workers will be needed across Ontario over the next decade. The report identifies significant skilled trades shortages as a concern for Ontario's housing, infrastructure and energy development plans, projecting that one in six job openings will be in skilled trades-related occupations by 2034.
Population growth is compounding the issue. Simcoe County's population increased 26.1 per cent over the past decade, with another 14 per cent increase projected by 2031. The county's working-age population is expected to grow by approximately 47,000 people, while its retirement-aged population is projected to increase by more than 60,000, according to the report.
Daniel Tisch, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, said businesses, educators and governments must work together to understand emerging workforce needs and prepare people for new opportunities. "The future of work demands more than technical expertise; it requires adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration and a commitment to lifelong learning," Tisch said. "By working together to understand emerging workforce needs and prepare people for the opportunities ahead, we can build a stronger talent pipeline, support employers and create an economy where more Ontarians thrive."
What the funding means for glazing contractors
For glazing employers, the connection between federal training dollars and the day-to-day challenge of finding certified glaziers and architectural glass installers is direct. Ontario's pipeline of condo, institutional and building envelope retrofit projects relies on crews that can work to the National Building Code of Canada and standards such as CSA A440 for windows and doors. While the new federal funding is not glazing-specific, unions and training providers that serve the fenestration trades can apply under the same infrastructure and equipment streams.
The one-in-six skilled trades projection from Georgian College does not break out glazing separately, but glaziers and related trades are part of the same labour pool. The federal government's $430 million envelope, alongside the $258.6 million critical sectors fund, adds capacity for apprenticeship training that could shorten the time it takes to bring new installers onto job sites. The Georgian College report calls for coordinated action among employers, educational institutions and governments to prepare workers for changing labour-market demands — a call that now has additional federal money behind it.