Feds announce new money for sustainable jobs training as legislation remains in limbo
The Liberal government an‐ nounced Friday it's ear‐ marking more money for training workers for new green jobs as its Sustain‐ able Jobs Act remains mired in Parliament.
During a virtual news con‐ ference on Friday, Employ‐ ment Minister Randy Bois‐ sonnault issued a call for ap‐ plications for funding under the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund.
The new money - $99 mil‐ lion over four years - is meant to support training projects to allow workers to upgrade or gain new skills as part of the government's plan to reduce carbon emis‐ sions.
"Our workers need to be ready. They need to be ready for jobs in green home con‐ struction, in retrofitting old buildings to be less emitting and to make sure we're maintaining and repairing electric vehicles," Boisson‐ nault said.
In order for projects to qualify for funding, they must focus on at least one of three areas: low-carbon energy and carbon management, green building and retrofits, and electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure.
Organizations will have until May 15 to apply for funding. A second call for proposals will be launched May 31 under the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, a program that supports skilled trades workers and employers.
While the funding an‐ nouncement is meant to prepare the workforce for a greener economy, the Sus‐ tainable Jobs Act - a bill to support the creation of sus‐ tainable jobs and economic growth in a net-zero economy - remains stuck in Parliament.
On Friday, Boissonnault described the bill and the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund as "companion pieces of a broader suite of initia‐ tives on the overall sustain‐ able jobs program." He said the bill's timeline is in Parlia‐
ment's hands.
"I know what the timeline is for this fund. It's to get pro‐ posals in very shortly, very quickly, so that we can view them, so that we can get that money out the door," he said.
The legislation, originally tabled by Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, implements some of the measures the federal govern‐ ment outlined in the interim sustainable jobs plan it re‐ leased last year.
The bill would create a Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council to advise the govern‐ ment on clean energy jobs and establish a Sustainable Jobs Secretariat, which would oversee the government's work on building a clean en‐ ergy sector.
It also would require the federal government to create a plan for sustainable jobs every five years.
On Feb. 26, 12 climate and labour organizations sent a letter to the govern‐ ment demanding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Wilkinson and all parties' leaders expedite the passage of the bill.
Aliénor Rougeot, climate and energy program manag‐ er at Environmental Defence, said the government must fulfil its promise.
"The impacts of the en‐ ergy transition are already being felt across the country. Waiting any longer could be too late for some workers and their families," she said in a media statement.
The bill has seen its fair share of controversy, with the federal Conservatives and the Alberta government pushing back against the Lib‐ erals for favouring renewable energy over oil and gas.
The bill passed second reading last October.
After moving before the natural resources committee, the Tories filibustered com‐ mittee hearings. Liberals eventually moved a motion that ended the study of the bill.
More than 200 additional amendments were proposed by Conservatives when the bill was put on notice to re‐ turn to the House of Com‐ mons.
Rougeot said the govern‐ ment must act now.
"Members of Parliament must put politics aside and pass this important legisla‐ tion."