federal government announces additional funding for skilled trades as nova scotia faces growing labour demands
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patty hajdu, federal minister of jobs and families, answers questions from reporters at the halifax convention centre on thursday, july 16, 2026. the federal government announced that they'll spend $2 billion over five years to help provinces and territories train and certify red seal trades workers
ryan taplin
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the chronicle herald
the federal government announced an additional $2 billion in funding toward growing training for skilled trades throughout canada. the strategy comes as demand for workers in the trades is on the rise in nova scotia.
the new funds were announced by federal jobs and families minister patty hajdu and nova scotia’s labour, skills and immigration minister nolan young in halifax.
nova scotia’s growing demand
young said discussions throughout a halifax ministerial meeting thursday focused on collaborative solutions to workforce needs.
“we’re seeing this firsthand through growing opportunities in sectors like defence, shipbuilding and construction,” young said. “every province and territory has their own priorities; we share many goals.”
expanded training
the funding will be distributed to provinces and territories through bilateral agreements and comes as an addition to the already $6-billion team canada strong initiative, which aims to have 80,000 to 100,000 red seal-certified trades workers recruited, trained and working over the next five years.
the additional money is meant to help provinces expand apprenticeship and technical training, reduce wait lists and remove barriers that may be blocking students from completing training.
patty hajdu, federal minister of jobs and families, answers questions from reporters at the halifax convention centre on thursday, july 16, 2026. the federal government announced that they’ll spend $2 billion over five years to help provinces and territories train and certify red seal trades workers.
ryan taplin
in the announcement, hajdu said the money was intended to make sure training keeps pace with demand.
“if someone puts their hand up to want to go to school, to want to be able to take training, to want to enter into the skilled trades, it can’t be the capacity of the trainers that’s the limiting factor,” she said.
keeping up with the future workforce
by 2033, hajdu said, canada will be facing more than 410,000 job openings in the skilled trades, emphasizing the need to get new workers ready.
“canada is facing a shortage of skilled workers, and without skilled workers we can’t meet the moment. retirements are happening faster than the replacements by new tradespeople,” she said, adding that there are 189,000 retirements from the sector on the horizon.
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hajdu referenced projects like the mersey river wind power initiative and nova scotia-new brunswick electricity intertie as examples where workforces are being developed.
“i want to thank the (nova scotia community college) for showing me the work that they’re doing. they are offering programs related to national defence, including training and applied learning programs,” the minister said. hajdu visited the college’s akerley campus on wednesday.
“they support the development of a skilled workforce in defence, in marine, in aerospace, and that includes the collaboration with employers and the federal government.”
the additional funding is expected to roll out throughout 2026-27, depending on agreement negotiations.
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