The Province of British Columbia now has $9.6 million in Canada-BC Job Grant funding available to help employers provide skills training to current or new employees.

Employers and organizations acting on behalf of employers can apply now for skills training funding with start dates between Oct. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016.

Allocation of the total $9.6-million investment is as follows:

$5.6 million in funding is available to eligible employers and organizations under the Priority Sectors stream, which includes:

• Small Business
• Technology and Green Economy
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Mining and Energy
• Agrifoods
• Tourism
• Transportation
• Forestry
• Natural Gas
• Aboriginal Peoples and First Nations
• In-Demand Organizations (i.e., non-profit health and social services)

$1 million is available to eligible employers and organizations to train individuals within the Under-represented Groups stream, which includes:

• New Canadians
• Aboriginal Peoples
• Persons with Disabilities
• Youth (aged 15-24 years)
• Women (in Trades and Natural Resource Sectors)

$2 million is available for eligible employers wishing to train and hire unemployed British Columbians under the Unemployed stream:

• Up to $15,000 for eligible training, per participant
• No employer contribution required

$1 million is available under the Refugee Fund:

• To support eligible organizations acting on behalf of employers to prepare refugees for employment in their particular sector, match refugees to employers and jobs, and deliver job-specific skills training in partnership with employers.
• The Refugee Fund supports two types of training:
  • Job readiness
  • Job-specific skills training

The Canada-B.C. Job Grant is an employer-driven, cost-sharing partnership between the federal and provincial governments as well as employers. Governments provide two-thirds of the total training cost for an employee up to $10,000 per person to offset the cost of training, with the employer contributing one-third of the cost of training.

Information on eligibility criteria and the application process is available on WorkBC’s website at: https://www.workbc.ca/canadabcjobgrant
Eligible costs include tuition and training fees, mandatory student fees, textbooks, software and other required training materials, and examination fees.

Meanwhile, almost 200 small businesses throughout the province have taken advantage of new resources at Small Business BC that make it easier to apply for Canada-B.C. Job Grant funding since the launch of a partnership between the provincial government and Small Business BC on June 7. Offering personalized advisers to help navigate the Canada-B.C. Job Grant application system through Small Business BC is another way the Province is supporting small businesses by making it easier for the sector to access government programs.

More than 400 employees in small businesses from the Kootenays to the northeast, spanning the tech sector to manufacturing industries, may receive training to help them learn new skills that contribute to the growth of businesses that drive the provincial economy. Small businesses and sole proprietors can benefit from skills training in areas such as leadership development, website design, digital marketing, social media, change management, first aid, workplace safety and human resources.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour –  

“Our province is expected to lead the country in economic growth over the next two years. This funding will go a long way to help businesses provide their current or future employees with the skills training they need to ensure we have the workforce to keep our economy strong, diverse and thriving.”

Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction –

“The next intake for the Canada-B.C. Job Grant funding ensures there are ongoing supports for small businesses and their employees to access skills training that helps grow and diversify our economy. We are continuing to build on our successful partnership with Small Business BC and cutting red tape for entrepreneurs so they can focus on doing what they do best; growing their businesses and creating jobs.”

Quick Facts:

• To date, more than 15,000 employees have received training through the Canada-B.C. Job Grant, and more than 3,000 employers have received funding to train new or current employees.
• Government has invested a total of $26 million in skills training through the Canada-BC Job Grant, with employers contributing another $13 million.
• By 2025, B.C. will have nearly one million job openings due to retirements and economic growth.
• Almost 80% of these job openings will require post-secondary education or trades training.
• The B.C. government invests more than $7.8 billion each year in education and training.
• Small Business BC is British Columbia’s premier resource centre for entrepreneurs. Its core activities are also supported by funds from Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Ministry of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Learn More:

Canada Job Fund: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/training_agreements/cjf/index.shtml  

Canada Job Grant: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/training_agreements/cjg/index.shtml

Canada-B.C. Job Grant: https://www.workbc.ca/canadabcjobgrant

British Columbia’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: https://www.workbc.ca/Training-Education/B-C-s-Skills-for-Jobs-Blueprint.aspx

B.C. Labour Market Outlook 2025: https://www.workbc.ca/Labour-Market-Information/B-C-s-Economy/Reports.aspx

Small Business BC: http://smallbusinessbc.ca/