To help meet the demands of Nova Scotia’s growing population, the province is investing $100 million over the next three years to help speed up the recruitment and training of skilled tradespeople.

Premier Tim Houston announced the program Thursday, saying the goal is to add up to 5,000 new apprentices to the provincial system over that time period. With a growing population, Houston told reporters, it’s important to increase the pool of skilled workers to build needed homes, roads, hospitals and other infrastructure projects.

“The work they do is critical to our growth and they are in high demand,” he said. “The way we are currently training these skilled professionals can’t keep up with the level of demand.”

According to provincial officials, Nova Scotia needs about 11,000 new certified trade professionals by 2030, or about 1,000 annually. Currently, the province is bringing in about 615 tradespeople a year, a shortfall of about 38 per cent of what’s needed.

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