Thursday March 5, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 12:47 pm PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today the federal Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu, is in Victoria to announce funding to support tariff-impacted workers.
She made the announcement alongside BC Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Sheila Malcolmson, during the noon hour at the BC Legislature.
Tariffs imposed primarily by the United States as well as global market shifts have resulted in the need for governments in Canada to provide transitional support for workers.
Workers whose jobs have been directly or indirectly impacted by global tariffs will receive support to help them adapt, retrain and succeed, as a result of a partnership agreement
Also attending the announcement today was Victoria MP Will Greaves.
Canada–British Columbia Workforce Tariff Response Agreement:
Specifically, $70.4 million over three years will be invested through the new Canada–British Columbia Workforce Tariff Response to support workers within the softwood lumber, steel and other directly and indirectly tariff-affected industries. This new funding will help more than 8,000 workers in British Columbia build new skills.
Supports will be delivered through WorkBC’s province-wide network to ensure timely, local, and personalized support for workers who may benefit from retraining or employment assistance as they transition into new opportunities, including:
- unemployed workers seeking to gain new skills for in-demand jobs;
- workers whose employers are participating in Work-Sharing agreements, so that they may upskill or retrain as these industries adapt; and,
- employed workers seeking new skills to improve their resiliency within companies directly affected by tariffs and global market shifts or their supply chains, or within communities that rely heavily on those companies, such as single-industry communities.
Implementation of the partnership agreement will leverage both existing and new or enhanced mechanisms and will benefit from the input of labour and business representatives. Coordinating directly with impacted businesses to protect jobs and strengthening data‑sharing will give tariff‑affected workers and those in Work‑Sharing agreements improved opportunities for upskilling or retraining, in a changing economic landscape.
As stated in a federal news release today: “This transformative new approach reflects a shared commitment by the governments of Canada and British Columbia to support Canadians through a period of significant economic adjustment, while building a strong, confident workforce—one where workers can navigate global uncertainty and industries can remain competitive in the global marketplace.”
No worker will be left behind:
“Canada’s workforce is strongest when employers and training partners work together. As global trade evolves, no worker will be left behind,” said Minister Hajdu today.
“Through the Workforce Tariff Response, that means providing the tools and training workers need to secure good jobs, continue building strong communities, and ensure Canada remains resilient in the face of global challenges,” said Hajdu.
“Workers, families and communities in British Columbia are facing real uncertainty because of global tariffs, and they deserve support they can count on,” said Minister Malcolmson.
“So through WorkBC, this investment will help people build skills and move into new opportunities quickly. Thank you to our federal partners for working with us to support people and strengthen British Columbian communities,” said Malcolmson.
Education component:
“British Columbia, in partnership with the federal government, is investing $70.4 million through our BC government to retrain and upskill more than 8,000 workers affected by global tariffs,” said Jessie Sunner, BC Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
“This investment supports our Look West strategy, ensuring British Columbians have the skills to step into meaningful career opportunities in a changing global landscape,” said Sunner.
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