OTTAWA, Ont. – Canada has for some time been staring at a significant shortage of people with trade skills, something the recent budget aims to solve.

Employment Insurance (E.I.) will now support individuals while they are learning these trades by providing income support to apprentices during classroom training periods.

The E.I. program has been modified so that apprentices in approved training programs are subject to only a single two-week waiting period rather than one each time they leave the workplace for classroom training.

As well, apprentice mechanics typically experience a high cost for tools, which can sometimes cause a barrier preventing more people from taking up the trade. The budget proposes to provide tax assistance to help apprentice vehicle mechanics cope with tool costs.