Conservatives Oppose Mark Carney’s Profession Prejudice Policy
Ottawa, ON – Garnett Genuis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment, released the following statement on the government’s decision to target students in certain professions for the elimination of student grants:
“Today Conservative are forcing a debate and vote in Parliament to reverse a Liberal policy that discriminates against students seeking critical vocational skills for in-demand jobs.
“The Liberal government quietly introduced a policy on page 217 of Budget 2025 that strips student grants from all Canadians pursuing careers through private career colleges, including many in critical, in-demand professions.
“Students studying skilled trades, chiropractic, dental hygiene and other applied professions will lose access to government grants.
“This Liberal approach is discriminatory and deeply flawed. If anyone enrolled in a university program can seek a government grant, but those pursuing hands-on, job-ready training at career colleges cannot, it sends the message that Ottawa does not value these careers.
“Removing this support will push lower and middle-income Canadians away from these practical pathways to stable employment. At a time when Canada is facing very high youth unemployment and skill mismatches, this decision makes things worse. It discourages students from entering in-demand fields and deepens the mismatch between the training people receive and the jobs our economy actually needs filled.
“Instead of discriminating against students seeking in-demand skills, Conservative have proposed offering relatively more generous grants to students seeking in-demand skills to fill jobs currently facing shortages. Distinctions should be made based on outcomes, not ideology.
“Conservatives believe in supporting all forms of work and ensuring that students are not penalized for pursuing practical skills for in-demand careers.
“Our motion today, supported unanimously at committee, asks the government to reconsider these changes, restore fairness, and ensure that student financial assistance supports the skills Canada actually needs.”