National

Poilievre outlines plan to boost apprenticeships, training for trades workers

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Mar, 2025 02:14 PM

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced a plan Friday to boost training and employment for workers in the skilled trades.

Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa Friday morning, Poilievre said his plan for "more boots, less suits" will expand training halls and provide direct grants and faster access to employment insurance for apprentices in licensed trades.

Thank you @CDNTrades !

Together, let's build Canada FIRST and bring home powerful paycheques for our people.

🇨🇦 https://t.co/qzj3ibQqaf
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) March 21, 2025

Poilievre said the goal is to deliver higher paycheques to workers and make Canada less reliant on the U.S. economy.

The plan would see the federal government offer apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000, fund training halls for skills development for up to 350,000 workers over five years, and work with provinces to harmonize health and safety regulations to allow tradespeople to work anywhere in Canada.

"The people who build the homes are not able to buy them," Poilievre said in front of an audience of local construction union members.

"The choice is the next election is very clear."

Ana and I came to LiUNA this morning to stand with 🇨🇦's extraordinary trades workers who literally build our country.

Conservatives will restore apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000 & fund training halls for 350,000 workers.

Cruz came for the donut. pic.twitter.com/wGnEPz1E7p
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) March 21, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney is widely expected to call an election on Sunday, sending Canadians to the polls as early as April 28.

Poilievre spent much of his news conference talking about how he is different from Carney and claiming the prime minister wouldn't be able to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump as well as he could.

"That's why common sense Conservatives will always stand with our employers and our unions right across the country to unleash the great Canadian promise," he said.

"Canada first."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Motorcyclist injured in crash

Mounties in Richmond are looking for more witnesses and dashcam footage after a motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash on Sunday. R-C-M-P say witnesses told investigators that the motorcycle collided with another vehicle before the Audi S-U-V made a left turn into a residential driveway.

Motorcyclist injured in crash

B.C. promises expanded gynecological cancer care, new programs in Surrey, Kelowna

The British Columbia government is bringing in new programs to address the growing demand for gynecological cancer surgical care in Kelowna and Surrey. Premier David Eby says the new services, and expansions of programs that already exist in Vancouver and Victoria, will nearly double the number of surgeons providing the cancer care in B.C. from eight to 15.

B.C. promises expanded gynecological cancer care, new programs in Surrey, Kelowna

More than 250 wildfires in B.C. as hot and dry weather persists

More than 250 wildfires are burning in British Columbia as much of the province continues to bake under a heat wave that is expected to last into next week. Cliff Chapman with the BC Wildfire Service said Thursday the province appeared to be "on the precipice of a very challenging 72 hours" with hot and dry weather, dry lightning and strong winds forecast.

More than 250 wildfires in B.C. as hot and dry weather persists

B.C. Conservatives pitch health-care changes, more private clinics

John Rustad acknowledges that if his party were to form government in October the plan would cause the provincial budget to "spike," but says in the long-term it will bring down per-capita health-care spending.

B.C. Conservatives pitch health-care changes, more private clinics

B.C. tribunal orders woman to pay ex $450 for Coldplay ticket she thought was a gift

A British Columbia woman has been ordered to pay her former romantic partner $450 for her ticket to attend a Coldplay concert together on what she said she believed was a date. But the province's Civil Resolution Tribunal says in a ruling that there was no evidence Michael Stolfi intended the ticket to be a gift to Alyssa Randles, and that instead it was a loan that the woman had to repay.

B.C. tribunal orders woman to pay ex $450 for Coldplay ticket she thought was a gift

2 dead, 1 hurt in plane crash in Tofino

RCMP say two people are dead after the crash of a small aircraft at the Long Beach Airport in Tofino on Vancouver Island. Police say a third person has been seriously injured in the crash involving a six-seat aircraft.