Liberals announce $258.6 million fund to train workers in critical sectors

The federal government announced plans for hundreds of millions of dollars in skilled-worker training for a second day in a row. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu was in her home riding of Thunder Bay on Thursday to announce up to $258.6 million over the next five years to train workers in critical sectors, with $50 million in annual funding in the years that follow.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund a little over a year ago, and the government opened applications in August. The fund aims to close gaps between workers’ skills and industry requirements in fields such as energy and critical minerals. It will support projects that could speed up training or certification.

The announcement came a day after Ottawa unveiled $430 million to help unions and other organizations cover the costs of new training facilities and equipment. The Liberals have announced billions of dollars in spending to train up to 100,000 new skilled workers over the next five years, supporting the government’s ambitious infrastructure agenda.

Craig Lord of The Canadian Press wrote this report, first published Oct. 16, 2026.