Canada must align skills with emerging opportunities

VANCOUVER — MEGAN GORDON, manager of the Pembina Institute’s Equitable Transition program, made the following statement in response to government’s pre-budget announcement Budget 2025 to invest in Canadian workers and the close of the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan consultation.

“Canada is in a global race to build a robust economy powered by clean energy while pursuing ambitious nation-building efforts of our own. But neither ambition can succeed without a skilled workforce ready to build it. It’s encouraging to see the federal government signalling, in the lead-up to Budget 2025, that worker interests are central to economic and climate strategies, especially as our recent analysis shows oil and gas is no longer the job-creating engine it once was.

“The Sustainable Jobs Act, passed last year, lays the groundwork for creating good, sustainable jobs and equipping workers with the skills they need for a low-carbon economy. The 2026-2030 Sustainable Jobs Action Plan, due this year, must now turn these commitments into concrete action, embedding sustainable jobs principles into government decisions and investments.

“The measures announced this week — such as expanding the Union Training and Innovation Program — are the kind of practical interventions that will help close the skilled trades gap and ensure Canada is ready to build. That includes constructing energy-efficient, climate-ready homes and buildings that are affordable to heat, cool and insure and scaling up domestic manufacturing from critical minerals to battery production and other clean energy industries. This is the approach we expect the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan to reflect: aligning training systems with emerging economic demand while embedding strong labour standards and protecting workers through periods of disruption.

“Budget 2025 is the moment to turn this momentum into concrete measures. The government’s recent commitments — including a new reskilling package, a Strategic Response Fund and more flexible Employment Insurance — will help workers weather uncertainty and disruption and step directly into emerging clean economy jobs.

“Together, the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan and these investments can turn Canada’s climate and economic ambitions into real job creation and shared prosperity for workers and communities in every region.

“We welcomed the opportunity to provide input into the Action Plan and look forward to seeing how the insights gathered will inform investments.”

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