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April 28, 2026 – OTTAWA, ON – The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC), representing mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors across Canada, welcomed the skilled trades announcements included in this afternoon’s Spring Economic Update tabled by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The update, entitled Canada Strong for All, included the launch of Team Canada Strong, an initiative to recruit, train, and hire 80,000-100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2030-31.

Several measures were announced to strengthen pathways into the skilled trades, including topping up the Apprenticeship Grant, funding employers to train apprentices, enhancing the Labour Mobility Deduction, and working with employers, provinces and territories, and institutions to shorten timelines and improve outcomes.

“With a growing number of Canadians seeking to upskill or reskill, alongside demand for skilled labour further accelerated by major projects and homebuilding initiatives, Canada has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring more people into growth-critical skilled trades and ensure our sector can meet the moment,” said Tania Johnston. “For our contractor members, who perform 40 per cent of the work in Canada’s construction sector, a $10,000 incentive to bring on apprentices represents an important investment in the future of our workforce.”

BuildForce Canada has estimated a potential labour shortage of 385,000 workers in the construction trades by 2034, while 20 per cent of the current workforce is expected to retire over the next decade.

“Canada’s construction sector is facing a worsening productivity crisis, driven in large part by growing labour shortages,” said Johnston. “Scaling up recruitment, training, and retention in growth-critical trades, while increasing mutual recognition of safety and training requirements across jurisdictions, will be essential to reversing this trend.”

MCAC is eager to work in collaboration with government to ensure these initiatives are designed and implemented, particularly with critical trades in mind to advance Canada’s nation-building goals.