Mr. Chair, while many sectors of the economy and regions of the country have skilled job shortages, too many people remain unemployed. Many employers continue to identify the shortage of skilled labour as an impediment to growth. To overcome this challenge, our economic action plan 2013 announced the reform of the three major labour market transfers to provinces and territories in order to transform support for skills training and help to ensure that federal funding responds to the hiring needs of employers. We have made significant progress toward meeting this goal.
First, the core labour market agreements are being reformed with the introduction of the Canada job grant. They are accordingly being renamed the Canada job fund. This will encourage greater employer participation in skills training decisions and ensure that training is better aligned with job opportunities, particularly in sectors facing skills mismatches and labour shortages.
Agreements in principle have been reached with all provinces and territories on the delivery of the Canada jobs grant, which is expected to be available to Canadian employers by July 1 of this year. Including employers' contributions, the grant could provide up to $15,000 per person toward training costs for a new or better job.
Second, the long-standing labour market agreements for persons with disabilities are being reformed to ensure federal funding supports programing that better helps Canadians with disabilities to obtain the skills they need to fill available jobs. These new agreements will require all jurisdictions to set up a formal process to engage employers and disability community organizers in identifying key labour market barriers and opportunities for persons with disabilities and set corresponding priorities for programing. This will not only support better employment prospects for persons with disabilities, but it will also better meet the employment needs of businesses.
We are also working to reform the $1.95 billion a year labour market development agreements with all provinces and territories to reorient training toward labour market demand, as we have with the other federal labour market transfers. Taken together, these renewed labour market agreements will be fundamental in helping to better connect Canadians with available jobs and advance our record of achievement in creating jobs and growth.
We are also taking significant action to that end outside the agreements. For example, our government is creating the Canada apprentice loan to help registered apprentices with the cost of their training. We will also improve the employment insurance system to ensure those on EI will receive more up-to-date information. We are also investing in an enhanced job matching service to ensure that Canadians are given the first chance at available jobs that match their skills in their local area. We are reforming the temporary foreign worker program to ensure that Canadians get the first crack at available jobs and employers hiring temporary foreign workers have a plan to transition to the Canadian workforce.
These are important areas where our Conservative government is making real progress in helping connect Canadians with available jobs while advancing our record of achievement in supporting jobs and growth. While the opposition continues to vote against every one of these job creating measures, our government will stay the course and focus on what matters to Canadians.