Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Pickering—Uxbridge.
When we took office in 2015, we knew that Canadian families had been discouraged by an economy that just was not working for them. We heard from Canadians from all walks of life that they were worried about their future and the current state of the economy and were looking for a government that would believe in them and invest in them.
In my riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, I have spoken with families who are facing the challenges of an economy in a world that is rapidly changing. While we see these many challenges, we must also see the opportunities. I am proud of budget 2017 for seeing the optimism in a changing world and tapping into the opportunities for Canadians. Optimism and ambition have always been the telling story of Canadians. We are innovative, creative, compassionate people, who put our family first and believe that better is always possible.
To me, budget 2017 is about the empowerment of Canadians, empowering families, young people, women, and indigenous communities. It is also about supporting businesses and industries to succeed, not just here in Canada but around the world. Budget 2017 is an investment in the future of Canadians. Budget 2017 is a budget that I truly believe will empower communities and support constituents, addressing the vulnerable in our community, but also creating opportunities for families and generations to come.
As chair of the Standing Committee on Innovation, Science and Technology, and a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons With Disabilities, I have sat at the tables to listen to Canadians share their thoughts about our innovation sector, as well as our social sector. I have had the opportunity to speak with experts, academics, and everyday Canadians on the issues ranging from poverty reduction and labour shortages to supporting our industries and encouraging more women on corporate boards. The budget shows an understanding that these challenges, while distinct, are also interconnected. Quite simply, it is a reflection of the reality that Canadians are facing.
Budget 2017 is a strategy. It is a strategy to put Canadians ahead in global markets on the forefront of innovation and skills while at the same time supporting the urgent needs of vulnerable Canadians who have slipped through the cracks of a system that has not previously worked for them.
Our government is a government that looks to the future and knows that investing in modern skills training today will ensure collective success tomorrow. I know my community is filled with families who work hard each and every day so that their children can have a better future than their own, yet too many young people in our communities are struggling to find good-paying jobs after completing their education. A rapidly changing labour market and global workforce is presenting unprecedented challenges for our youth. Budget 2017 proposes a variety of measures that will support young Canadians in their transition to the workforce, as well as adult Canadians who are tying to adapt to a changing workforce.
The budget will expand on our youth employment strategy, investing $395.5 million over three years to help more than 33,000 vulnerable youth develop the skills they need to get back to school, create 15,000 new green jobs, and provide over 1,600 new employment opportunities in the heritage sector.
Additionally, budget 2017 will support the creation of a co-op and work integrated program for young people, particularly in STEM and business programs, while also renewing the government's support for pathways to education Canada. This is a program that assists low-income youth to complete high school and transition to the workforce or post-secondary education.
I am also proud that budget 2017 will equip our young people with the skills to succeed in a rapidly changing labour market by investing $50 million over two years for digital skills training, such as coding. Preparing our young people with the appropriate skills and abilities will help them and empower them to succeed in a modern job market.
As the chair of the industry committee, I have heard first-hand how important it is for our youth to have digital skills to be able to compete in a global workforce. This measure will not only help Canadians find good-paying jobs when they enter the labour market, but will also help Canada to be on the cutting edge of digital innovation and technology. This is a win-win that I hope everyone in the House can get on board with.
We are also helping adult Canadians retrain and develop new skills for today's modern labour market through changes to employment insurance, Canada student grants, and Canada student loans.
Changes to employment insurance will help unemployed Canadians receive skills training and get back on their feet without necessarily putting them at risk of losing their benefits, a barrier we heard at the human resources committee quite often that prevented successful re-entry into the labour market for so many.
Likewise, budget 2017 commits over $300 million over three years to assist adult Canadians with children who wish to go back to school to upgrade their skills.
Making investments is not about handouts. Over and over again at the human resources committee, we heard that it is about smart, calculated investments and partnerships that will most successfully empower Canadians to address the challenges we collectively face.
At our committee we also heard about the distinct correlation between mental health and poverty. As per commitments in budget 2016 and negotiations in the past year, my province of British Columbia will receive an additional $654.7 million over the next 10 years for mental health initiatives. This is in addition to the Canada health transfer of $6.7 billion in the 2017-18 year, which is an increase of $194.9 million from the previous year. Improving access to mental health initiatives will not only support millions of Canadians who struggle with mental health but will also work proactively to address a key contributor to poverty in Canada.
With respect to supporting vulnerable Canadians, job training is also one of the most effective—