Federal government provides $1.5B to help underrepresented groups hit hardest by pandemic

Nov 13 2020, 5:17 pm

The federal government is providing $1.5 billion to underrepresented groups in Canada hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the details of an investment of $1.5 billion in the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) with provinces and territories.

According to the federal government, the investment will help Canadians in underrepresented groups and those in sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic – such as construction, transportation, and hospitality – to quickly access supports to re-enter the workforce.

The help could include skills training, on-the-job training, employer-sponsored training, financial assistance and benefits, employment counselling and services, and job opportunities.

“Millions of Canadians have now returned to work after losing their jobs at the start of the pandemic, but there is still much more we can do,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“By investing in skills training and employment supports, we are investing in our biggest asset – our people. We will keep working with all provinces and territories to get the economy back up and running and Canadians back to work.”

Trudeau said the investment will help us reach the country’s goal of creating over one million jobs.

The funding is in addition to the $3.4 billion provided to provinces and territories in 2020-21 under the WDAs and Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs).

Clarrie FeinsteinClarrie Feinstein

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