Federal government cuts funding for Alberta workers
Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones issued the following statement on the Canada-Alberta Job Grant on Wednesday, August 7.
“As a result of Ottawa’s unexpected and unreasonable decision to cut $70.8 million in Labour Market Transfer Agreement (LMTA) funding for Alberta, our government has been forced to put an indefinite hold on the Canada-Alberta Job Grant program for the remainder of the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Despite several letters to the federal government, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault urging reason, the federal government has proceeded with their LMTA cut for Alberta’s workers.
“As a result of this cut, Alberta’s employers will be short roughly $10 million in skills and training funding for 2024-25. This means approximately 1,000 businesses, and the training for up to 4,000 Albertan employees, will be impacted.
“LMTAs support important workforce development programs that help Albertans get the training they need to find and keep good jobs. This includes the Canada-Alberta Job Grant program, which provided nearly $27 million in 2023-24 to Alberta employers so new workers could be properly trained. This funding also supported existing employees in gaining job-related skills, with small- and medium-sized businesses receiving approximately 80 per cent of the overall funding.
“This cut to funding has serious, far-reaching consequences for workers and comes at a time when Alberta continues to face critical skills shortages in several industries, including construction, health care and education. The Canada-Alberta Job Grant program has helped thousands of Albertans close skills gaps, further strengthening Alberta’s labour market and growing our economy.
“Our government understands the impact a strong and skilled labour force has on the success of Alberta’s economy. Alberta’s government is working hard to develop and implement new employer-led training programs that will provide Albertans with similar opportunities to learn job-related skills.
“While we are disappointed with the federal government’s decision to cut LMTA funding, we remain committed to addressing labour shortages and skilled-training gaps through innovative programs that meet the needs of employers, training providers and industry, both now and in the future.”