‘This is all hands on deck’: Ottawa to allocate another $68M for Alberta workers impacted by tariffs

MP Patty Hajdu, the minister of jobs and families, joins Alberta Primetime's Michael Higgins to discuss support for workforce development in Alberta.

The federal government is partnering with Alberta to provide support for tariff impacted workers. MP Patty Hajdu, the minister of jobs and families, joins Alberta Primetime’s Michael Higgins to discuss the rising unemployment rate in Alberta.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: What level of support does that pave the way for our province?

Patty Hajdu: What we’re doing is really working closely with provinces and territories to make sure that if a worker is impacted by tariffs, and it doesn’t even have to be directly by tariffs, but if their job is threatened in any way, that we’re able to quickly support the provinces in ensuring they can receive adjustment supports, training supports and opportunities for new work in the province. This is something that Alberta does very well already. We transfer about $250 million every year to Alberta, so the province will receive another $68.5 million to make sure they have the resources. So that no matter when or how a worker is impacted, they’re going to get immediate and urgent support to readjust.

MH: The April jobless rate for Alberta registered at seven per cent, half a point from the month previous. Where does Alberta rank among the provinces needing the most assistance because of the current trade environment?

PH: I would say it’s a different impact across the country and different regional impacts as well. That is slightly higher than the national unemployment rate, but we have been seeing the unemployment rate tick up as a result of the tariffs and impacts. Particularly in hard-hit industries like aluminum, steel, auto manufacturing, soft wood, lumber and more.

The reality is, this has a lot of effect with individuals that are employed in some of the supply chains that help ensure that those businesses and those sectors have what they need to perform and to thrive. This additional money is there no matter how your job has been impacted. It’s very important to realize that there is support out there for workers and provinces can mobilize very quickly with federal support to ensure people have the handoff they need when they’re impacted.

MH: In terms of that mobilization and in moving this forward, how much of a handoff is there here with the province? What are the expectations of Alberta government involvement?

PH: The labour market development agreements, which is what this is building on, are very well monitored across the country and we have the ability to assess how many workers are reached. For example, every single year through the standard $254-million transfer, it’s about 66,000 workers that get additional support. This can be support to find a new job, support to address training gaps, support for employers to bring on workers.

There’s all kinds of different, creative ways that this work is done and each province looks a little bit different. They often work with community level organizations. The additional $68.5 million will mean another nearly 7,900 workers will be supported in the same ways. It’s to make sure the province has the capacity to address anybody who’s feeling that labour instability, job loss, or even in some cases, hours cut, and the ability to pivot quickly to new opportunities.

MH: How much of this might be about bolstering the trades?

PH: It does build on our announcement in the spring economic update, which is a $6-billion investment in attracting people to the skilled trades. Alberta is in some ways, very much poised for growth and a variety of different major projects, a variety of infrastructure projects across the province.

The challenge that we’re all facing as Canadians is we just don’t have enough skilled trades workers graduating with their red seals as electricians, as plumbers, as technicians, to be able to build all of the projects and to be able to get things off the ground as quickly as we want to.

That’s why two weeks ago, in the spring economic update, the government made this ambitious investment of $6 billion to attract people to the trades. We’ll be working with provinces like Alberta on that attraction piece to make sure that apprentices can get through that training. Only about 32 per cent of red seal apprentices actually finished their course of study and were able to support employers with a $10,000 subsidy to hire those apprentices in their first year, to make sure they get those hours they need to certify. This is an all hands on deck moment. It actually builds on the investments that we’re talking about today for Alberta.

MH: To what degree could this maybe shift to support in driving forward a new pipeline to the West Coast? If it is that a deal can be reached resulting from the Alberta, Ottawa MOU (memorandum of understanding) that was signed last November?

PH: It’s a great example of a project where you’ll need a lot of skilled trades workers and a lot of technicians that keep that machinery going. It’s an entire area where you really rely on building trades. Workers, plumbers, steam-fitters, pipe-fitters, and all of these red seal trades. As I said, we are facing a shortage.

The provinces and territories, along with the federal government, have been working on removing barriers to labour stability. We are making progress and we can see that those barriers are coming down, meaning that people can move from province to province more easily, and we hope even more easily as we continue this work.

But the challenge is that not everybody can move and we are going to have multiple projects getting lifted off the ground at the same time. In fact, some already are in progress. So that’s why we are really focusing on the skilled trades and these labour market adjustments to make sure people have the training they need when they want to pivot to this profitable work.

MH: On the political front, it’s hard to ignore but a lot of focus in our province right now on the prospect of a referendum on separation. How do you see a program like this maybe playing into the conversation? What might it say about your government’s response to that evolving dynamic?

PH: I think right now what I’m seeing across the country is that people are pulling together to protect Canada. People are pulling together to protect businesses. So much fervor around shop Canadian, buy Canadian, support Canadian industries and services. We’re just focused on making sure that every province, including Alberta, feels like they are a valuable part of this grand project and that they’re immobilized to be able to take opportunities as these new opportunities evolve.

The prime minister and Premier (Danielle) Smith are speaking frequently and positively, and it is my fervent hope that we continue this national project of supporting each other and making sure that this proud country, Canada, continues to stand firmly, independent and strong.