Oakville, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to secure job training opportunities for the workers of today and tomorrow.

“It’s not enough just to create jobs,” said O’Toole. “We also need to ensure that Canadian workers have the skills they need to fill those jobs, and in doing so build a better life for themselves and their families.”

Canada’s Recovery Plan will invest in job training opportunities – particularly for skilled trade workers, to better prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow, as well as investing in opportunities to bring women and New Canadians into the skilled trades. Canada’s Conservatives will do this by:

• Doubling the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit for the next three years to help create more places for apprentices.
• Investing $250 million over two years to create the Canada Job Training Fund. The Fund will provide grants to organizations including employers, apprenticeship training delivery agents, unions, post-secondary institutions, and community organizations for projects that:

o Give laid-off workers immediate access to training
o Reach out to traditionally underrepresented groups,
o Help tourism and hospitality workers who have been hit hard by the recession,
o Support the talent needs of small businesses, and
o Otherwise help workers get the training they need – focusing on areas where there are shortages of skilled workers.

• Creating the Working Canadian Training Loan to provide low interest loans of up to $10,000 to people who want to upgrade their skills, empowering workers to determine what training they need rather than having the government tell them.

“We depend on our skilled trades workers every day. It’s time the government invested in them to ensure they have the skills they need to secure good jobs.” O’Toole said. “Together, we can secure the future.”