Keep calm and train skilled manufacturing workers in spite of tariffs: report
U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports may contribute to unemployment in the short term, but Ontario's manufacturing sector still stands to grow long-term, and much more needs to be done to make sure Canada has enough workers with the skills to do the jobs.
That's the message of a new report from Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters titled Keep Calm and Keep Training.
Canada's automotive sector may be under pressure from U.S. tariffs, said the organization's president and CEO, Dennis Darby. But the country is a major producer of food products, machinery, chemicals and oil and gas, and recent investments in EV and battery production present huge opportunities.
"We think there could be a million people working in manufacturing by … 2035," Darby said.
The sector employed just over 830,000 people in 2024.
The report draws information from two surveys of manufacturers conducted in December 2024 and January through March 2025.
Focus on education funding
"The big insight was somewhere just under 30,000 people a year are going to retire out of the sector over the next eight years," Darby said.
"And we are certainly not in a great position right now to be able to replace all of those folks."
It found that even in southwestern Ontario, which is heavily exposed to the effects of the U.S. trade war, respondents cited shortages of some skilled trades people.
"While this pressure will abate to an extent as the short-term impact of tariffs is felt, general concerns with the aging of manufacturing workers highlight the need for long-term regional coordination," it read.
The report touches on a number of threats to the sector's workforce – economic unpredictability, skill shortages and funding constraints at colleges and universities – and identifies a range of potential solutions.
Those included more incentives for apprenticeship programs; more exposure to trades in high schools; better collaboration between industry and post-secondary institutions; more degree offerings, such as mechatronics; more seats in college apprenticeship programs and attracting workers from underrepresented groups.
But a big focus is funding for education, particularly at the secondary and post-secondary levels – money to expand programs, invest in high tech equipment and create more seats.
There is also a call for more incentives for apprenticeship programs.
Economist Jim Stanford, the director of the Vancouver-based Centre of Future Work, said the report's focus on continued training makes sense because as Canada navigates through the instability caused by the Trump administration, it will need the best workforce possible.
Employers need to do their part
And he said he fully supports governments playing a bigger role in it.
But he said employers also need to do their share, including paying corporate taxes.
"You know, it's always ironic when business groups who are constantly demanding tax cuts and other forms of incentives are also saying, 'Government, you must step up your support for colleges and universities,'" he said.
"Yes, we need that support. And everyone, including companies, has to pay their fair share toward it."
CBC News reached out to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security for a response to the report.
Among other things, we asked whether the government intended to increase post-secondary funding and address the request for funding for high tech training equipment.
The press secretary for Minister Nolan Quinn replied with an emailed statement saying the ministry continues to ensure Ontario has the highly skilled workforce needed to drive economic growth.
"As our latest step to protect Ontario, we're investing over $800 million to fund news STEM and skilled trades seats at colleges and universities across the province, building on last year's historic $1.3 billion investment and the $5 billion we contribute annually to post secondary education – strengthening the pipeline of highly skilled workers to drive our economy across our critical sectors, including manufacturing," Bianca Giacoboni said.
"We're also expanding the Skills Development Fund by nearly $1 billion to support workers impacted by U.S. tariffs, provide in-demand job training, help employers up-skill staff, and [create] new, innovative partnerships between industry and post secondary [institutions]."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US still dependent on Canadian oil, despite Trump's claims, Cenovus CEO says
CALGARY (Reuters) -The U.S. is still reliant on Canadian oil imports, despite claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump, Cenovus Energy's CEO said on Tuesday at a conference in Calgary, Alberta. Trump has threatened on-again, off-again tariffs on Canada's oil, of which nearly 4 million barrels per day are exported to the United States. Canada also remains dependent on U.S. energy systems, Cenovus CEO Jon McKenzie said, adding the country must diversify its customer base. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
FanDuel appears ready to sacrifice bettors on the altar of lower taxes
FanDuel appears ready to sacrifice bettors on the altar of lower taxes Last week, we talked about the new online sports betting tax in Illinois that would hit operators with a 25 cent fee for each of the first 20 million bets they take and a 50 cent fee for every bet after that -- and how those operators appeared ready to pass those fees on to customers. On Tuesday, FanDuel became the first operator to do just that. In response to the new Illinois tax (which followed a separate increase in 2024), FanDuel announced the addition of a 50-cent transaction fee for every bet by Illinois customers beginning Sept. 1, which is two months after the tax goes into effect on July 1 and, according to InGame, the month when the operator is likely to hit the 20-million bet threshold that triggers the 50-cent tax. FanDuel would effectively eat the first two months of the tax at 25 cents. "Should the state reverse its decision at any point in the future, FanDuel will immediately remove the $0.50 transaction fee," the statement said. If that doesn't make obvious what FanDuel is attempting to do -- use bettors to pressure lawmakers into retracting the new tax -- Flutter CEO Peter Jackson's words should: "We are disappointed that the Illinois Transaction Fee will disproportionately impact lower wagering recreational customers while also punishing those operators who have invested the most to grow the online regulated market in the state. We also believe the introduction of the Illinois Transaction Fee will likely motivate some Illinois-based customers to bet with unregulated operators." It's all right there. FanDuel isn't wrong that this transaction fee has the potential to push some customers to unregulated operators -- particularly if other regulated operators follow suit with their own fees -- but that can only happen if said operators are passing the fee to customers in the first place. Remember, this is originally a tax on the operator. Then again, that seems to be the point. Bettors are set to get the raw end of this deal, and FanDuel is doing its part to make sure lawmakers get the blame. Whether that's fair is a question for someone smarter than myself. I have no clue whether the new taxes actually are too exorbitant to expect operators to continue eating the costs. But that's obviously what they want us to believe, and they appear willing to sacrifice customers to prove as much -- because not everyone is going to care the reasons behind why a $1 bet is costing them $1.50. They'll just take their business elsewhere. After last year's Illinois tax increase, DraftKings announced its own plans for a surcharge that never actually saw the light of day after other operators didn't follow suit. This time, it's FanDuel putting its brand loyalty to the test in what feels like an attempt to make lawmakers to reverse course. But with three months before these transaction fees are set to hit customers, that pressure will eventually shift to FanDuel to follow through. The unfortunate part about this game of chicken between operator and government is that bettors are the ones caught between the headlights.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chip designer Alphawave sees stock soar on Qualcomm takeover agreement
Shares in chip designer Alphawave rose sharply on Monday after the British-Canadian firm agreed to be acquired by US rival Qualcomm for around $2.4bn (€2.1bn) in cash. As of around 9.45am London time, Alphawave's stock had risen around 23% in daily trading on the LSE. Qualcomm's offer values each share at 183p, a 96% premium on the closing price seen on 31 March, the final day before Qualcomm and Alphawave announced they were holding discussions. The $2.4bn valuation is still half of the total worth attributed to Alphawave when it launched an IPO in 2021. At its stock market debut, Alphawave shares were worth 410p each and the group was valued at £3.1bn (€2.7bn), although the firm has generally traded well below this level since its IPO. The deal is expected to close in the first three months of 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. Related London Stock Exchange urged to do more to hold onto retail traders Why the US is banning Qualcomm and Intel from exporting some chips to China Alphawave designs semiconductor technology for data centres and AI applications, thus providing Qualcomm with an opportunity to diversify away from smartphone components. 'Qualcomm's acquisition of Alphawave Semi represents a significant milestone for us and an opportunity for our business to join forces with a respected industry leader and drive value to our customers,' said Tony Pialis, CEO of Alphawave Semi. 'By combining our resources and expertise, we will be well-positioned to expand our product offerings, reach a broader customer base, and enhance our technological capabilities,' he added. Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, commented on the deal: 'The combined teams share the goal of building advanced technology solutions and enabling next-level connected computing performance across a wide array of high growth areas, including data center infrastructure.' Alphawave said its directors would unanimously advise shareholders to vote in favour of the takeover. For the deal to go ahead, it would require a green light from investors representing 75% of shares. The takeover raises concerns about the attractiveness of listing in the UK, particularly after other high-profile departures from the LSE. Food-delivery service Deliveroo and cybersecurity and AI firm Darktrace have both agreed to be acquired by US firms. The fintech Wise also announced last week that it would be moving its primary listing to the US. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data