08 Dec Canada-BC Job Grant Helps Develop Staff
By Rachel Wicks
We want to share an opportunity to develop staff in your business and to do it using someone else’s money. This article will help you understand how to access grant money to develop and train your staff, improving their experience and increasing your profits.
The benefits of professional development and training should not be underestimated. With professional development your staff will:
- Maintain and enhance their knowledge.
- Be more engaged and confident in their work.
- Be more aware of the changing trends and directions of their profession.
- Be able to make a meaningful contribution to your team, and may assist them into positions of leadership in your firm.
In order to encourage employers to invest in the training and development of their current or future employees, the federal and provincial government are currently offering a cost-sharing program to employers called the Canada-BC Job Grant (CJG).
The grant application is open right now for training dates that start between December 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018.
More information and application forms can be found on their website here: Canada-BC Job Grant
What is it?
The CJG assists eligible employers to offset the cost of training up to a maximum of $10,000 per participant per fiscal year and up to a maximum of $15,000 per participant (per fiscal year) for the Unemployed Stream. The employer contributes at least one-third to the cost of training, with the government contributing up to two-thirds of the cost.
Who can apply?
Eligible employers can apply to 5 streams of funding:
1.Priority sectors – Includes employers with small businesses (less than 50 employees)
2. Unemployed Stream – For employers looking to train an unemployed candidate. There must be a job offering to the candidate at the end of training
3. Rural Stream – For employers located in towns with less than 25,000 in population
4. Underrepresented Groups in the Workforce – For employers looking to train a candidate that falls in the following group:
- New Canadian
- Aboriginal people
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth ages 15-24
- Women in Trades and Natural Resources
5. Refugee Fund – For employers looking to train a refugee
What are eligible training programs?
The training must meet the needs of the business and result in employment or a better job. Training may include:
- Soft skills training
- Essential skills training
- Apprenticeship and Foundation training
- Management and business skills
- Specialized and technical skills
- Software training
Who are eligible training providers?
Training must be delivered by a third-party training providers that is independent of the employer and training must be the main activity of the provider. Training providers may include:
- Industry Associations (ex. CPA-BC PD seminars for accountants)
- BC Public post-secondary institutions
- Training organizations run by BC’s School districts
- Industry Training Authority Designated Trade schools
- Industry approved training providers
