Goal is a modern workforce

FEDERAL BUDGET INCLUDES MEASURES TO ENCOURAGE MODERN SKILLS, RETRAINING

The federal government is enlisting the provinces and territories to help turn Canada’s workforce into a cutting-edge, 21st-century engine of economic growth.

The budget tabled Wednesday by Finance Minister Bill Morneau spells out part of the government’s strategy for a more innovative, tech-fuelled economy, and ensuring traditional workers don’t get left behind.

It includes $1.8 billion over six years to expand labour market development agreements — arrangements with the provinces and territories that help to finance a range of programs, including skills training.

Last year, during consultations on how to improve the agreements, stakeholders urged the government to make them more flexible and responsive to employers and workers.

The rapid pace of change can seem dizzying at times, Morneau said in Wednesday’s budget speech, but Canada can’t lose sight of the fact that it’s people who drive breakthroughs in innovation.

“As we create the jobs of tomorrow, we will support a culture of lifelong learning and skills training to help workers and their families adapt to the changing demands of our time.”

Angella MacEwen, an economist at the Canadian Labour Congress, welcomed the investment but said she would like to see how the government plans to measure outcomes.

“If we have a skills gap ... do we have the data to tell us whether or not we are actually closing the right skills gaps and investing in the right areas,” she said. “We need to find out what that specific gap is to make sure we are closing it.”