LONDON, Ont., — The Government of Canada will
provide over $10.8 million to promote a skilled workforce in the transportation sector, including in the trucking industry.

The initiative, through the Sector Council Program, was announced by Housing and Trade minister Joe Fontana at a presentation of Interactive Distance Learning technology for the automotive repair and service sector.

The Government will join with business, unions, provinces and territories, sector councils and workers to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to develop skills enabling them to obtain meaningful and
productive jobs.

The sector council network now covers about 48 percent of the labour market.

The funding will support skills-related projects by the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council, the Canadian Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) Council, the Council for Automotive Human Resources, the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council, and the Motor Carrier Passenger Council of
Canada.

“With the growing pace of innovation and changing demographics, we must focus more than ever on the skills of our workforce,” said Minister Fontana.
“We know that our overall economic success depends heavily on productive workplaces that promote skills development. Today’s announcement will certainly help address skills issues in the transportation sector, and in particular the auto sector, which is one of the most important areas of our economy.”