March 19, 2024 – The Government of Canada issued a call for proposals for two new funding opportunities under the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund (SJTF) to help employers, organizations, and unions train workers for jobs in the low-carbon economy.

(With an allocated investment of just over $99 million over four years [2024-2028], the SJTF is a new fund that will support a range of training projects. Not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, and provincial or territorial governments are eligible to apply for funding.)

Sustainable Jobs Training Fund projects will range from $8 million to $15 million each, with agreements starting this year, explains Employment and Social Development Canada. Eligible projects must focus on at least one of the three following areas that will help workers develop the skills required to seize opportunities in the low-carbon economy:

• Low-carbon energy and carbon management, including energy-related sectors such as hydrogen, geothermal, wind and solar, as well as jobs in carbon management, such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage.
• Green buildings and retrofits, involving the installation of low-carbon HVAC equipment (including heat pumps), energy-efficient components, or renewable energy systems.
• Electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure, contributing to the country’s transition to electric vehicles with a focus on the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure.

The fund will accept proposals from organizations that show they have:

• Established partnerships or a proven capacity to develop and support partnerships with employers, unions, training institutions, and other relevant stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of skills development, training, and labour market issues with regard to one of the aforementioned priorities.
• Recent experience (within the last three years) delivering initiatives that support skills and workforce development, including designing and delivering training programs leading to certifications or career pathways in French or English.

The projects submitted must:

• Address a training need that is key for one of the priorities.

• Target a minimum of 1500 participants and benefit a variety of employers—particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises.

(N.B. Applications for projects aiming to train less than 1500 participants will be considered under the low-carbon energy and carbon management priority area only, in which case applicants will need to explain why a smaller target is justified for the type of activities they propose.)

• Have activities that take place in at least two provinces or territories.

(For projects under the low-carbon energy and carbon management priority, a narrower geographic scope could be considered where justified to reflect the regional realities of emerging sectors.)

• Convene key stakeholders and forge partnerships to ensure training is demand-driven and addresses skills needs.

• Have an end date of March 31, 2028.

Organizations will have until May 15, 2024, to apply to for funding.

Those interested are encouraged to submit their applications electronically on the Grants and Contributions Online Services portal.

Additionally, the new Sustainable Jobs stream of the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Union Training and Innovation Program is expected to start accepting applications for funding by the end of June 2024.