Canada has announced a new transportation and supply chain labor coalition, aimed at identifying worker shortages and developing training programs to fill critical jobs across the sector.

According to an August 24 release, the Transportation and Supply Chain Workforce Alliance (TSCWA) will be led by Trucking HR Canada (THRC) and the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association, with a focus on matching training programs more closely with the skills employers say they need, spanning road, rail, air, maritime and warehousing. Canada's federal government will also provide $8 million in funding to get the initiative on its feet. 

“This investment is an important step toward a stronger, more coordinated workforce strategy for Canada’s transportation and supply chain system," THRC CEO Angela Splinter said.

The alliance will begin by mapping where labor and skills shortages are creating the biggest pressure points across Canada’s transportation networks. The group will then work to develop training and recruitment programs targeted at those gaps, while helping workers transition into transportation jobs where demand is highest.

The TSCWA is the third workforce alliance set up by Canada's government, as part of a larger plan to roll out a series of labor initiatives across six sectors, including advanced manufacturing, housing and construction, energy and electricity, mining and minerals, and caregiving.