The Canadian economy has made strides towards recovering from the pandemic, having achieved record low unemployment rates. However, significant skills and labour shortages continue to affect many sectors and investments in training are needed to re-build a strong and resilient workforce that can meet the demands of today’s economy. Each sector of our economy is unique and often requires tailored approaches to workforce solutions and skills development to remain adaptable and responsive to the changing labour market.

“The labour market is rapidly growing and evolving, outpacing employers’ abilities to find workers. Through our Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, we’re addressing labour shortages in key sectors, like aviation and aerospace, by making sure that all Canadians, including women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, racialized Canadians and other marginalized people have the skills they need to seize emerging job opportunities in this innovative field. We’re investing in the Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace so that they can continue to provide targeted support to Canadians across the country with unique, high quality training that will help them secure good jobs in the aerospace sector.”

– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

“Canada's aerospace sector is a strong driver of innovation in research and development. Our government is committed to continue working in partnership with the industry to meet our defence, research and transportation needs while also ensuring our procurements support the creation of jobs in the aerospace industry and participation of under-represented groups for years to come.”

– Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Helena Jaczek

“Our Government’s funding to the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace will help make training more accessible and facilitate the upskilling of employees in the aviation and aerospace industry - supporting a future-ready workforce in the transportation sector and helping the Canadian aviation sector make a strong recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.”

– Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra

“Over the past few years, we have made significant investments to make Canada the green supplier of choice in the aerospace industry. Today's announcement will contribute to securing the labour force and expertise needed for the decades to come.”

– Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne

“This funding will make a significant contribution to addressing the critical labour and skills shortage in the Aviation and Aerospace industries. The Industry Led Training Program will provide employers with a system to train new hires who have no prior experience or formal education. It will also be an important tool for upskilling the existing work force.”

– Robert Donald, Executive Director, Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace

“Addressing critical labour shortages to ensure we have the workforce now and into the future is crucial. The ongoing success of Canada’s aerospace industry rests on the strength of its highly trained workforce. This announcement in support of Industry Led Training is an important initiative to ensure we’re supporting workers and industry.”

– Mike Mueller, President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada

• As of fall 2022, Canadian employers were seeking to fill over 1 million job vacancies. A significant number of vacancies (243,400) are in the professional, scientific, technical, construction and manufacturing sectors, which were already seeing shortages before the pandemic

• It is anticipated that population aging and declining participation will exacerbate labour shortages over the long-term, with 600,000 workers that may retire over the next three years.

• By 2028, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace estimates that the aviation and aerospace industry will need an additional 58,000 workers in key skilled occupations. 

• First announced in Budget 2021, the Government of Canada is investing up to $629.4 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, through the new Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, which will help workers and employers by supporting solutions to address current and emerging workforce needs in key sectors, including:

  • building talent for Canada’s clean economy
  • supporting needs of workers and employers hardest hit by the pandemic
  • addressing challenges faced by in-demand health care occupations

Associated links

• Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program
• ESDC on Twitter
• ESDC on Facebook

For media enquiries, please contact:

Tara Beauport
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
tara.beauport@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
343-576-1628

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

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