Backgrounder: The Union Training and Innovation Program
Backgrounder
The Union Training and Innovation Program, which was announced in Budget 2016, will target the Red Seal trades and involve broad-based partnerships with a number of stakeholders. It is expected that the Program will:
help to improve the quality of training through investments in equipment;
support innovative approaches and partnerships with other stakeholders; and
reduce barriers to participation and success in the trades for key groups including women and Indigenous people.
The Program, which will have two streams, is open to all unions, including those that do not provide training recognized by provinces and territories as technical apprenticeship training, and those that do not operate training facilities.
Stream 1 will fund cost-shared purchases of training equipment and materials. Continuous technological change puts pressure on training providers to ensure workers are developing the right skills needed on the job site. Stream 1 will help unions to purchase new and up-to-date training equipment.
Stream 2 will focus on innovative approaches to help address challenges limiting apprenticeship outcomes in Canada, including barriers to participation and success in the trades for key groups such as women and Indigenous people. This stream will be open to a range of stakeholders and partners, but unions need to be involved, either as the lead or as a partner on projects.
The Government of Canada invests significantly in apprenticeship through grants, loans, tax credits, Employment Insurance benefits (during in-school training), project funding and support for the Red Seal program. The Government is also working with the provinces and territories to harmonize apprenticeship training requirements in targeted Red Seal trades.
Quebec organizations are not eligible to apply for funding. Discussions with the Government of Quebec are underway to develop an approach that takes into account the unique features of Quebec’s apprenticeship system. For more information, and updates, visit UTIP Stream 1 and UTIP Stream 2.