Last month, the federal government confirmed funding of $5.4 billion to create employment skills training programs.
The programs will be designed to help increase productivity in the face of a labour shortage, giving under-represented populations in the workforce an opportunity to adapt to today’s changing technological climate as the available workforce dwindles.
The decline is attributed to an aging population and lack of technological skills. Although the unemployment rate in June was just 4.9%, the province’s job vacancy rate during the same period was the highest in Canada. Low salaries compared to the rest of Canada have also contributed to Quebec’s economic difficulties.
The funding, introduced in Budget 2017, will be spread out until 2022-23 to address the shortage over the next four years.