Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport, has recently announced that the Canadian government is planning to invest up to $46.3 million in the Department of Trucking Human Resources Canada (THRC) under the protocols of the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program. He made this announcement on behalf of Carla Qualtrough, Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Minister.
The trucking industry of this North American country is going to have a whopping 55,000 job openings by the end of 2023. The funding that the government has announced is dedicated to providing training and work experiences and finding jobs for about 2,600 new truckers as well as other industry workers.
What will the funding be used for?
The $46 million funding is tapped for the Career ExpressWay Program of the non-profit Trucking Human Resources Canada. In a news release, Carla Qualtrough said that without truckers, the successful transportation of groceries to the local supermarkets would not have been possible. As a result, the builders would not receive their essential supplies.
The project is designed to offer training sessions, on-the-job work experiences, and wage subsidies to encourage the recruitment, onboarding, and training processes performed for up to 1,400 newly-recruited trucker drivers. The onboarding process will also include the hiring of 1,200 new workers for other demanding occupations in the trucking sector.
Carla Qualtrough added that the government is investing in the Trucking HR Department to ensure that the industry is capable of supporting truckers and other workers, who have significant contributions in equipping the truckers with the skills and training they require to meet the soaring demands in the industry.
Filling the national gap of truck drivers
According to a statement from the government, this project aims to address the potential inconsistencies in driver training by establishing a national standard to identify and bridge the gaps between the initial training sessions and the final employability throughout the nation. The initiative will help around 2,600 participants to receive proper training, working experience, and other such support, including living and travel expenses. It will help these individuals, with emphasis on women and similar equity-deserving groups, to prepare themselves for a successful career in the trucking industry.
Alghabra said that truck drivers are necessary to boost Canada’s economy and supply chains. He further added that THRC’s Driving Economic Recovery project is “an innovative solution” to support the readiness for job employment and skills development among prospective truckers. As a result, it will provide some good positions for middle-class jobs across Canada. A news release has revealed that Canadian employers are looking forward to filling more than 1 million job vacancies in the sector, among which 26,900 are truck driver positions.
Furthermore, the Canadian Trucking Alliance has made an alarming forecast that the trucking sector will face a shortage of about 55,000 workers by the end of 2023. Therefore, the government is working toward strengthening the nation’s transportation systems and supply chain management. The initiative is focused on delivering goods to Canadians on time and at affordable transportation costs, thus building an economy that will work for all.
Besides, in November, the government introduced its Express Entry immigration program for potential truckers from multiple countries outside Canada. This initiative is offering foreign truck drivers an opportunity to apply for permanent residency in Canada.