Photo Credit: Ontario Colleges

🧑🔎 💵 Government Of Canada Announces Two New Funding Opportunities for Sustainable Jobs in the Low-Carbon Economy 💚

Monday, 11 March 2024 10:37.AM

Canada's workforce is leading the transition toward a greener and more sustainable future. The Government of Canada is taking action to ensure that workers and employers in all regions of Canada have the skills and resources to thrive in the economy of today and tomorrow.

The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced new funding opportunities to help employers, organizations, and unions train workers for jobs in the low-carbon economy. A call for proposals opens today under the new Sustainable Jobs Training Fund (SJTF) with an allocated investment of just over $99million over four years. A second call for proposals will be launched in late June this year under the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy.

These two new funding streams will support tens of thousands of workers across the country with a range of training projects to upgrade or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy.The SJTF is a new targeted fund that will support a range of training projects over a four-year period. Not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities), and provincial or territorial governments are eligible to apply for funding under this call for proposals.

Eligible projects for the SJTF must focus on at least one of three areas—low-carbon energy and carbon management, green building and retrofits, and electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure—to help workers develop the skills required to seize the opportunities in the low-carbon economy.

Organizations will have until May 15, 2024, to apply to for funding. Organizations interested in applying are encouraged to submit their applications electronically on the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal. Creating a GCOS account is a one-time process that allows organizations to apply for various Employment and Social Development Canada funding opportunities in a secure web environment. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit the SJTF webpage on Canada.ca.

In addition, the new Sustainable Jobs stream of the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy's Union Training and Innovation Program is expected to open for applications for funding in the coming months, with an anticipated launch at the end of June this year. It will support unions in developing green skills training for workers in the trades. It is expected that 20,000 apprentices and journeypersons would benefit from this investment.

Today's announcement is another step the Government is taking to grow Canada's economy and create good and well-paying sustainable jobs for generations to come. Canada will continue to invest in innovative projects that encourage the creation of green jobs and support for workers and communities in the transition toward a net-zero emissions economy.

"Our government supports and empowers Canada's workforce. Today, we're demonstrating our commitment to this goal in the shift to a low-carbon future. These new funding opportunities recognize the essential role that Canadian organizations play in driving innovation and growth. Ensuring that in-demand training, including green skills training in the housing and construction trades, is accessible to Canadians across the country is key to preparing our workforce for jobs in the low-carbon economy. I strongly encourage eligible organizations to apply and take advantage of this important opportunity for Canada's economy."
– The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

"Workers know how to lower emissions, build up renewables, create jobs and a more prosperous Canada. We're just giving them the tools to get the job done."
– The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Labour

Quick Facts

• The SJTF is part of Canada's comprehensive Sustainable Jobs Plan for 2023–2025, which guides Canada's efforts to move to a net-zero emissions economy. The Government of Canada committed an investment of $99.1 million over four years starting in 2024 to launch the new SJTF to help workers upgrade their skills or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy.

• Supporting union-led green skills training for apprentices and journeypersons in skilled trades through the new Union Training and Innovation Program sustainable jobs stream will contribute toward building a robust supply of skilled tradespeople who are better equipped with the green skills needed to succeed in Canada's low-carbon economy.

• According to Natural Resources Canada, low-carbon energy jobs are estimated to grow to 2.68 million by 2050. Supporting workers in these industries necessitates a diversification of skills to match the unique demands of low-carbon energy and decarbonization technologies.

• According to labour market data from 2021, an estimated 314,257 jobs were attributable to the environmental and clean technology products sector, up 6.5% from 2020 and accounting for 1.6% of all jobs in Canada in 2021. The utilities industry was the largest industry group in terms of employment, accounting for over one fifth (65,656) of environmental and clean technology jobs in 2021.

• It is anticipated that about 1.1 million workers across all sectors will retire over the next three years. Royal Bank of Canada estimates the net-zero transition could create up to 400,000 new jobs in Canada by the end of this decade alone.

• Through a series of national climate plans since 2016—including the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, which was the first plan under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act—the Government of Canada has committed over $120 billion to climate action and low-carbon economic development.

SOURCE: Employment and Social Development Canada

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Backgrounder: Government of Canada launches call for proposals under the new Sustainable Jobs Training Fund

The Sustainable Jobs Training Fund will support a series of training projects that will help workers upgrade or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy. The Fund will allocate up to $99.1 million for projects from 2024 to 2028. Projects will range from $8 million to $15 million each, with agreements to start in 2024.  

Eligible projects for the SJTF must focus on at least one of the three following areas to help workers develop the skills required to seize the opportunities in the low-carbon economy:

1. Low-carbon energy and carbon management, including energy-related sectors such as hydrogen, geothermal, wind and solar as well as jobs in carbon management, such as carbon capture, utilization and storage.
2. Green buildings and retrofits, involving the installation of low-carbon heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment (including heat pumps), energy efficient components, or renewable energy systems.
3. Electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure, contributing to the country's transition to electric vehicles with a focus on the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure nationally.

Projects and activities

The Department will accept proposals from organizations that show that they have: 

• Established partnerships or a proven capacity to develop and support partnerships with employers, unions, training institutions and other relevant stakeholders. Partners may include, for example, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous governments and organizations, sectoral stakeholders, or organizations representing equity-deserving groups.
• In-depth knowledge of skills development, training, and labour market issues with regard to one of the priorities: low-carbon energy and carbon management, green buildings and retrofits, or electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure.
• Recent experience (within the last three years) delivering initiatives that support skills and workforce development, including designing and delivering training programs leading to certifications or career pathways in French or English.

Projects submitted must:

• Address a training need that is key for one of the priorities.
• Target a minimum of 1,500 participants and benefit a variety of employers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
  •   Note: Applications for projects aiming to train less than 1,500 participants will be considered under the low-carbon energy and carbon management priority area only, in which case applicants will need to explain why a smaller target is justified for the type of activities they propose.
• Have activities that take place in at least two provinces or territories.  
  •   Note: For projects under the low-carbon energy and carbon management priority, a narrower geographic scope could be considered where justified to reflect the regional realities of emerging sectors.  
• Convene key stakeholders and forge partnerships to ensure training is demand-driven and addresses skills needs. 
• Have an end date of March 31, 2028. 

Eligible applicants

The following types of organization are eligible to apply:

• not-for-profit organizations;
• for-profit organizations;
• Indigenous organizations, including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities;
• provincial or territorial governments, including institutions and agencies; and
• Crown corporations.

Organizations interested in applying are encouraged to submit their applications electronically on the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal. Creating a GCOS account is a one-time process that allows organizations to apply for various Employment and Social Development Canada funding opportunities in a secure web environment.

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