Ontario Construction News Staff Writer
The federal Conservatives are calling for targeted investments in skills training and worker housing to help young Canadians enter high-demand fields, including the skilled trades, as youth unemployment hits a 15-year high.
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said Wednesday that the federal government must take stronger action to align post-secondary education with labour market needs and help employers attract workers. His comments came ahead of a Statistics Canada report showing unemployment among youth aged 15 to 24 rose to 14.7 per cent in September — the highest level outside the pandemic years since 2009.
The plan would encourage training in sectors facing labour shortages, such as construction and manufacturing, and allow businesses in those regions to write off the cost of building housing for employees. He said housing incentives would make it easier for young Canadians to relocate for work, while also reducing reliance on temporary foreign labour.
“There’s a clear misalignment between what students are studying and where jobs are available,” Genuis said, pointing to Statistics Canada data showing 18.2 per cent of young people with post-secondary credentials were working outside their field of study, up from 16.6 per cent a year earlier.
The Conservatives also proposed changes to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program to provide more funding for fields with strong employment outcomes — including skilled trades and technical programs — and less for fields with weaker job prospects.
Genuis urged the government to adopt the Conservative plan in the fall budget, set for release Nov. 4.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu’s press secretary, Jennifer Kozelj, rejected the Tory proposals, saying the Liberal government is already acting “with urgency and purpose” to support youth employment. She said the Canada Summer Jobs program and a temporary 40 per cent funding boost to student financial aid are helping thousands of young people find work this year.