Group agrees to accelerate advance interjurisdictional training approach across Canada
Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for labour have agreed to accelerate the harmonisation of key construction training programs and advance an interjurisdictional training approach across Canada – a move that will directly shape how HR professionals recruit, deploy and develop workers in multiple provinces and territories.
The ministers endorsed an “accelerated” workplan focused on making worker credentials more portable, particularly in construction, under the aegis of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
“The changing world of work means governments have to work together, within their respective jurisdictions, to support workers and help businesses,” said Jean Boulet, Quebec Minister of Labour. “By facilitating labour mobility and maintaining high health and safety standards, we are helping build a stronger economy and more modern workplaces.”
According to ESDC, the initiative supports a First Ministers’ commitment to improve labour mobility and “recognize priority health and safety requirements in the construction sector” to back major infrastructure projects and a “more resilient Canadian economy.”
National push to align construction training
The ministers agreed that aligning construction training will make it easier for workers to move between jurisdictions without repeating similar courses, while leaving each province and territory free to decide how to implement the common framework.
Under the workplan, Working at Heights and Mobile Elevating Work Platforms training are to be harmonised by Jan. 1, 2027, giving employers a clear horizon to review and adjust internal training portfolios.
By the same date, governments will consult on training for Hoisting and Rigging, and Trenching and Shoring, laying the groundwork for more consistent expectations around high‑risk tasks that now vary between jurisdictions.
The ministers also agreed to collaborate on training for Entry‑level Construction Worker and Construction Supervisor roles by May 2027, which could help HR standardise job descriptions, competency profiles and progression pathways across multi‑province operations.
Labour mobility and misclassification
The ministers directed officials to identify tangible steps to advance an interjurisdictional training approach by fall 2026 and agreed to meet more frequently to track progress in eliminating labour mobility barriers.
They will meet again in the fall of this year in Nova Scotia and in spring 2027 in Saskatchewan to review implementation of the training agenda and identify remaining obstacles to worker movement.
The ministers also agreed to set up a federal‑provincial‑territorial working group to develop a joint plan to address worker misclassification in the trucking industry, with a progress report due in fall 2026. Misclassification, particularly where workers are treated as independent contractors rather than employees, has become a priority for regulators, raising legal, tax and employment standards risks for employers.
Safety alignment and international standards
ESDC said the ministers also “highlighted concrete progress achieved through sustained collaboration in recent years to harmonize occupational health and safety regulatory requirements,” though no new specific rules were announced.
The Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation again provided the forum for federal, provincial and territorial labour departments to work through standing committees on labour standards, OHS, international labour affairs, mediation and conciliation, and strategic labour policy.
Their efforts tie into the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, which already oversees two occupational health and safety reconciliation agreements signed in 2019 and 2021.
At the international level, ministers noted progress toward Canada’s possible ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention C155, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981, and endorsed a renewed Federal‑Provincial‑Territorial Strategy for Canada and the ILO for 2026–2028.
Employment and Social Development Canada said the strategy, in place since 2008, has helped Canada “efficiently advance the ratification of ILO conventions,” with 9 of the 10 fundamental conventions now ratified.
Recently, Ontario officially launched Canada’s first Occupational Exposure Registry (OER), a secure digital portal designed to help workers track exposure to hazardous substances and reduce the risk of occupational disease over the course of their careers.
