Saturday, June 27, 2026
ADVT 
National

Poilievre outlines plan to boost apprenticeships, training for trades workers

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Mar, 2025 02:14 PM
  • Poilievre outlines plan to boost apprenticeships, training for trades workers

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.

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."

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."

MORE National ARTICLES

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians expected to come to Canada in the next few months

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians expected to come to Canada in the next few months
Settlement agencies are preparing for the arrival of tens of thousands of Ukrainians before the end-of-March deadline for those fleeing the Russian invasion to enter Canada on emergency visas. The federal government has issued 936,293 temporary emergency visas since March 2022 for Ukrainians who want to work or study in Canada while they wait out the war. A total of 210,178 people had actually made the journey to Canada as of Nov. 28.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians expected to come to Canada in the next few months

Surrey man wanted on outstanding arrest warrants in custody

Surrey man wanted on outstanding arrest warrants in custody
Surrey RCMP say a man who was wanted on outstanding arrest warrants is in custody. Police said last week they were looking for the 24-year-old, who was allegedly seen in September driving dangerously through Surrey's streets at peak traffic hours.

Surrey man wanted on outstanding arrest warrants in custody

Metro Vancouver bus union warns of service shutdown without deal with employer

Metro Vancouver bus union warns of service shutdown without deal with employer
The union representing transit supervisors in British Columbia's Lower Mainland says it will be “withdrawing all services” on Monday if an agreement with Coast Mountain Bus Company isn't made. CUPE Local 4500, representing more than 180 bus workers, says it has been waiting more than four weeks for Coast Mountain to respond to its latest proposal.    

Metro Vancouver bus union warns of service shutdown without deal with employer

Man dies after being hit by a snowplow

Man dies after being hit by a snowplow
Police in Abbotsford say a 31-year-old man is dead after being hit by a snowplow this morning. Officers say the man lost control of his vehicle on Highway 1 and went into the ditch.

Man dies after being hit by a snowplow

Four children with strep A have died in B.C. in the past month, disease centre says

Four children with strep A have died in B.C. in the past month, disease centre says
Four children under the age of 10 who had streptococcal infections have died since mid-December, in what the BC Centre for Disease Control says is part of a surge in such infections. A bulletin released by the centre, the Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Children's Hospital says data from 2023 show a three-fold increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections in people under 20. 

Four children with strep A have died in B.C. in the past month, disease centre says

B.C. Coroners Service reports 36 outdoor deaths to start year, 5 on cold Jan. 12

B.C. Coroners Service reports 36 outdoor deaths to start year, 5 on cold Jan. 12
British Columbia's Coroners Service is reporting the outdoor deaths of 36 people during the early days of January when the province was in the grip of a record-breaking cold snap. Coroners Service data for the days from Jan. 1 to 16 show the highest number of people dying on Jan. 12, a day when numerous low temperature records were broken across B.C.

B.C. Coroners Service reports 36 outdoor deaths to start year, 5 on cold Jan. 12