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Completion grant now available for apprentices

Senator Mike Duffy, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, announced that eligible apprentices will be able to apply for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant starting today.

“By providing the Apprenticeship Completion Grant, our Government is helping Canadians to become tradespeople and ensuring that we have the skilled and mobile workforce our country needs to meet the demands of our changing labour market,” said Senator Duffy.

The Government of Canada is investing $40 million per year for this important program that will not only encourage people to complete their apprenticeship training and become certified tradespeople but will enhance their ability to work anywhere in Canada by supporting the Interprovincial Red Seal Standards Program.

The Apprenticeship Completion Grant is a $2,000 grant that the Government will provide to eligible apprentices who successfully complete their apprenticeship training and receive their journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade on or after January 1, 2009.

Under the existing Apprenticeship Incentive Grant, apprentices are already eligible for a $1,000 grant when they complete the first and/or second level of their apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade, to a maximum of $2,000. To date, more than 100,000 grants have been issued to Canadians across the country.

It is estimated that 20,000 apprentices will benefit from the Apprenticeship Completion Grant each year upon certification in a designated Red Seal trade. Highly valued by employers, the Red Seal Program promotes a national standard for training excellence in the skilled trades.

As a combined result of the two apprenticeship grants, apprentices who complete their training and become a certified journeyperson in a designated Red Seal trade, could be eligible to receive a total of $4,000.

Apprentices will be able to apply for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant on July 2, 2009, with eligibility made retroactive to January 1, 2009. Application forms and further information is available through Service Canada’s Web site at servicecanada.gc.ca/apprenticeship or by phone at 1-866-742-3644 (TTY: 1 866 909 9757).

As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan—to protect Canadians during the global recession and invest in Canada’s long-term growth—the Government is temporarily investing an unprecedented $8.3 billion in the Canada Skills and Transition Strategy to support workers and their families.

In order to enhance the availability of training, Canada’s Economic Action Plan contains the following measures:

  • increasing funding by $1 billion for training delivered through the Employment Insurance (EI) program over two years.
  • investing $500 million over two years in a Strategic Training and Transition Fund to support the particular needs of workers, whether they qualify for EI or not, including those who have been out of work for a prolonged period of time
  • providing an additional $175 million over three years to support Aboriginal skills development and training; and
  • providing additional funding for key programs aimed at supporting older workers, young Canadians, apprentices and foreign credential recognition.

For more information about this release, please contact:
Sara Underwood, Media and Communications Officer
Tel: 902-566-9695
Date: Friday, July 03, 2009