To maintain a safe and liveable world for future generations, MCAC believes we need to be building smarter, together.

To do so, MCAC believes the federal government should look to promoting and supporting careers in the mechanical contracting sector, recognizing the important role the sector will need to play in the future of Canada’s built environment.

As part of its 2023 Prebudget Submission, MCAC recommends:

That the federal government provides Employment and Social Development Canada with funding to allow for sectoral labour market information studies explicitly for the skilled trades needed to support Canada’s energy transition

That the federal government invest in attracting workers to skilled trades essential to Canada’s carbon transition—especially the mechanical trades—to  ensure current and future labour market challenges are weathered by:

    1. Doubling the annual maximum tax credit per apprentice in the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit from $2,000 to $4,000;
    2. Doubling the annual amount of the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant to $2,000 per year or level, and the lifetime amount to $4,000 per person;

Doubling the annual amount of the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women to $6,000 per year or level, and the lifetime amount to $12,000 per person.

That the federal government establish a promotion plan that highlights certain industries, including the mechanical contracting sector, as green jobs essential to Canada’s carbon transition. This plan should:

    1. Include at least $3 million in paid advertising annually over the next five years to promote the mechanical contracting sector as a path for students and new career professionals.
    2. Include $500,000 for professional organizations in the mechanical sector to develop a toolkit for contractors to use in their marketing and promotion efforts to potential workers in the mechanical sector.
      1. Toolkits would also be shared with advisors in the education sector,  including career counsellors, guidance counsellors and teachers in high schools to better provide advice about the potential of careers in the skilled trades.

That Budget 2023 commit more funding to the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program. This funding should expand the building retrofit and energy efficiency stream as a commitment to address the labour supply challenge slowing net-zero adoption in the built environment. We recommend the immediate investment of $500 million in new funding in recognition of program demand.

Download a Copy of the 2023 Prebudget Submission