Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters welcome commitments to support manufacturing, women in the workforce, but look forward to more details on how all parts of industry can take part in the recovery

Ottawa, Ont., September 24, 2020 – Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters President and CEO Dennis Darby issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s Speech from the Throne:

“The Speech from the Throne contained a number of commitments that could help Canada’s manufacturing sector and contribute to the country’s social and economic recovery. We look forward to details about how the government proposes to implement these measures, and to ensuring that every part of the sector, from oil and gas and minerals, to transportation, food and machinery can contribute to and benefit from the recovery effort.

“In the meantime, we welcome the commitment to extend the wage subsidy through next summer, which is particularly important to the manufacturing sector because it allows employers to retain employees they have invested in, in addition to allowing them to continue investing in upgrading their skills.

“Also important is the government’s commitment to provide the supports necessary for women – whose participation in the labour market continues to lag pre-pandemic levels even as employment levels for men continue to improve – to rejoin the work force. In addition to helping with a more inclusive economic recovery, this will certainly be welcomed by a manufacturing sector that desperately needs more skilled workers.

“COVID-19 has highlighted how vital Canada’s manufacturing sector is to our social and economic well-being. While the sector has responded to the urgent call for critical goods to protect and support Canadians, the crisis has exposed the need for measures to strengthen it going forward.

“In this regard, the government’s commitment to support the manufacturing sector in a variety of ways is welcome. However, it is going to be critical that the government work closely with the manufacturing sector to quickly turn those commitments into tangible actions that help all parts of the sector to become more competitive and productive. Our social and economic recovery depends on it.”