The Province of British Columbia will allocate $1 million, through the Canada-B.C. Job Grant (CJG) program, to help employees upgrade their skills for jobs in rural communities

The Province has created the new rural stream under the Canada-B.C. Job Grant, to support employers with training costs for new or current employees in rural communities. This rural funding will not only benefit current and future workers, as well as local employers, it will also boost their community’s economic development.

The rural stream will be open for applications on Saturday, April 1, to employers as well as organizations acting on behalf of employers with jobs in rural communities of 25,000 people or less.

All eligible employers and organizations acting on behalf of employers are encouraged to apply for funding, for training that starts on or before Aug. 31, 2017. There are various delivery partners in regions throughout B.C. that are available to assist employers in rural communities apply for this funding.   

In addition to the new rural stream, all other CJG funding streams will be accepting applications for training that starts on or before Aug. 31, 2017, until targets for those streams are met.  

The Province is also launching its new CJG administration system, which will streamline the application submission process for employers who will be able to submit their signed agreements and claims online. The system will be live on Saturday, April 1, and employers will be able to submit their applications for funding to all CJG streams starting May 1, 2017, for training that will start between Sept. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2017.

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. Under the unemployed stream, the government contribution can be 100% of the cost of training, to a maximum of $15,000 per person.

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. To support access to training for workers in rural communities, the CJG can also cover eligible travel costs for participants.

These training investments support the recently announced Building on Our Rural Advantages: B.C.’s Rural Economic Development Strategy. The strategy outlines the Province’s long-term vision to ensure that British Columbians in all regions of the province have the opportunity for well-paying jobs and a high quality of life in their community.

Building on Our Rural Advantages delivers on a key priority in the mandate letter for the minister of state for rural economic development.

Quotes:

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

“B.C. is an economic leader in the country and we know that communities throughout the province play an important role in creating our economic growth. The new rural stream of the Canada-B.C. Job Grant is another example of how our government is supporting workers and employers in rural communities providing them with the funds they need to train workers for current and future employment.” 

Donna Barnett, Minister of State for Rural Economic Development –

“I am thrilled about the new rural stream under the Canada-B.C. Job Grant that is dedicated to rural communities. The $1-million funding provided by the provincial and federal governments will go a long way in assisting residents and employers in small communities, as they gain the skills they need for local jobs and their business operations.

“We are taking action to address the concerns in rural B.C., including steps to diversify their local economies. Skills training investments, such as the new rural stream is one of the ways that will help rural communities thrive in the future.” 

Quick Facts:

• To date, more than 20,000 employees have received training through the Canada-B.C. Job Grant, and more than 4,000 employers been approved for funding to train new or current employees.
• To date, government has invested $40 million in skills training through the Canada-B.C. Job Grant, with employers contributing $20 million, for a total investment of $60 million for skills training across the province.

Learn More:

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

Information and instructions on registration for BCeID: https://www.bceid.ca/register/

B.C.’s Rural Economic Development Strategy: http://bcjobsplan.gov.bc.ca/b-c-s-rural-economic-development-strategy/

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/