Backgrounder: The Union Training and Innovation Program

The Union Training and Innovation Program, announced in Budget 2016, targets the Red Seal trades and involves broad-based partnerships with a number of stakeholders. The Program objectives are 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 has two streams and 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.

1. The Investments in Training Equipment Stream (Stream 1) helps unions purchase new and up-to-date training equipment. Continuous technological change puts pressure on training providers to ensure workers are developing the right skills needed on the job site.
   
2. The Innovation in Apprenticeship Stream (Stream 2) focuses on innovative approaches to address challenges limiting apprenticeship outcomes, including barriers to participation and success in the trades for key groups such as women and Indigenous people. This stream is 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.