With the federal government’s efforts to bring growth and stability to the Canadian economy, skilled and ready workers who are quickly able to enter the workforce will be integral to overcoming any of the persistent economic challenges Canadians continue to face.
Tuesday’s Budget 2025 saw the release of ambitious plans to invest in key areas such as housing, infrastructure, and clean energy, while belt-tightening in others. This nation-building economic agenda must be coupled with corresponding skills and talent policies and programs.
“What we need is bold investment and priority given to strengthening a workforce that will help build and execute on those national plans,” says Allison Pond, President and CEO at ACCES Employment. “This means significant skills training, immigration supports, and clear pathways to viable employment. We need to remove barriers for displaced, underserved and diverse talent who want to and can’t find work.”
Newcomers to Canada already have extensive training in sectors where we are experiencing labour shortages, including in engineering, information technology, trades and in healthcare so the federal government’s commitment to improve foreign credential recognition and also improve labour mobility will be a welcome help to meet labour demand.
Furthermore, with youth unemployment at its highest in recent history, ACCES was pleased to see significant investment earmarked for young people. Despite years of experience working with youth in fields such as information technology, construction, and trades pre-apprenticeship—where placements can lead to careers in sheet metalwork, brick and stone masonry, and construction craft work—young people still need more support, or they will continue to fall behind.
As a leading workforce development organization serving jobseekers and employers for almost 40 years, ACCES calls for multi-year, predictable funding, and more expedient, closer alignment between federal and provincial employment strategies to enable both immediate and long-term impact.
ACCES looks forward to continuing its work with government and serving Canadians to be a productive, prosperous economy.
About ACCES Employment
ACCES Employment is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping jobseekers from diverse backgrounds, including newcomers and internationally educated professionals, integrate into the Canadian workforce. Through sector-specific training, employer partnerships, and mentorship, ACCES connects thousands of jobseekers to meaningful employment each year.
