Federal apprenticeship funding opens with November and December deadlines

Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program opened new funding paths on October 15 for organizations expanding skilled trades training capacity. The federal announcement describes more than $430 million over five years, including a November 12, 2026 deadline for infrastructure expressions of interest and a December 17 deadline for innovation proposals. A separate equipment intake remains open without a fixed closing date, and the government says its temporary maximum contribution rate for eligible training equipment has risen from 50% to 70%. Those are funding program details, not a change to an employer’s employment standards obligations, and eligibility depends on the specific application stream.