The federal government is putting up $70.4 million over three years to fund skills training for workers in B.C. impacted by tariffs and trade upheaval, according to a joint announcement with the provincial government on Thursday, March 5.
“When a worker loses a job that they’ve depended on because of the U.S. tariffs, it’s like a real gut punch in the stomach,” B.C. Social Development and Poverty Reduction Minister Sheila Malcolmson said.
The Canada-British Columbia Tariff Response, as the aid program is called, aims to support the more than 8,000 workers in the softwood lumber, steel, and other tariff-affected industries.
Support will be delivered through WorkBC for unemployed workers, those looking to retrain as their industries adapt, and those seeking to build new skills to improve their company’s resilience to tariffs and global market shifts. People who want to participate can go to a WorkBC office to inquire.
Federal Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu joined Malcolmson for the announcement at the B.C. legislature.
“This new funding will help the workers of B.C. build new skills, get back to work, or take advantage of new opportunities in the emerging, in-demand industries,” Hajdu said. “It can also help businesses retool their production, so they can be more competitive in new products or new markets.”