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

Mark Carney pledges to beat Trudeau's target date for meeting NATO spending benchmark

Liberal leadership contender Mark Carney has pledged to hit Canada's NATO defence spending target by the end of the decade — two years ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's schedule.

Mark Carney pledges to beat Trudeau's target date for meeting NATO spending benchmark

International grads more likely to hold jobs below their education levels: StatCan

International students who graduated from Canadian schools are more likely to be underemployed than their Canadian peers — and many are living with lower incomes as a result. Statistics Canada's national graduates survey looked at the employment rate for more than 83,000 international students who graduated in 2020, remained in Canada and did not pursue further education.

International grads more likely to hold jobs below their education levels: StatCan

B.C. homicide team investigates beating death of a 19-year-old man

Homicide investigators are looking into an attack on a 19-year-old man that started in Abbotsford, B.C., then led officers to Crescent Beach in Surrey more than 45 kilometres away. Officers were called on Jan. 27 to an area on Victoria Street in Abbotsford when witnesses were reporting that a man was assaulted and then taken away in a vehicle.

B.C. homicide team investigates beating death of a 19-year-old man

Booing of U.S. anthem continues at Canadian sporting events despite tariff pause

Canadian sports fans continued to voice their displeasure at American economic policies on Tuesday despite a pause in a trade war between Canada and the United States. Fans at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena booed during the U.S. national anthem before the Raptors hosted the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Booing of U.S. anthem continues at Canadian sporting events despite tariff pause

B.C. fast-tracking 18 mining and energy projects in face of U.S. tariff threat

The British Columbia government has released a list of 18 critical mineral and energy projects worth roughly $20 billion that it said it's working to accelerate in the face of ongoing tariff threats from the United States. The list contains mining projects that have received pushback from some B.C. and Alaskan First Nations groups, including Eskay Creek, Highland Valley and Red Chris mines.

B.C. fast-tracking 18 mining and energy projects in face of U.S. tariff threat

Fraudsters try a new method to steal bank cards in Langley

Langley R-C-M-P are warning the public about a new attempt to steal bank cards by fraudsters. The scheme includes calling the victim first to warn them someone is trying to tamper with or compromise their card, then arriving at the victim's house to "collect" the tainted card.