Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories launch the Canada Job Grant to help people in the Northwest Territories get jobs

YELLOWKNIFE, Oct. 9, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development, along with the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Northwest Territories Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, today announced that the Government of the Northwest Territories is now accepting employer applications for the Canada Job Grant and are encouraging employers to apply.

The Canada Job Grant is an innovative, employer-driven approach to help Canadians gain the skills and training they need to fill available jobs. It is designed to be flexible enough to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, in all industries and regions. As employers are also required to contribute to the costs of training, the Canada Job Grant will result in training that leads to guaranteed jobs.

The Canada Job Grant will provide up to $15,000 per person for training costs, such as tuition and training materials, which includes up to $10,000 in federal contributions. For details on how to apply for the Canada Job Grant, please visit www.ece.gov.nt.ca.

Quick Facts

• According to the Conference Board of Canada, real economic growth in the Northwest Territories is expected to rise by 1.3 percent in 2014, by 2.5 percent in 2015 and by a robust 7.9 percent in 2016. 
• BuildForce Canada has noted that the Northwest Territories generates nearly 50 percent of all economic activity in Canada's territories.
• In the next 10 years, Canada is expected to need 300,000 new workers in the construction sector, with up to another 150,000 new workers in the petroleum sector and 145,000 new workers in the mining sector.
• The Canada Job Grant will provide employers with up to $10,000 for training costs per worker, including tuition and training materials.

Quotes

"Our government's top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity. The Canada Job Grant is part of our commitment to address the paradox of too many Canadians without jobs in an economy of too many jobs without Canadians. With employers' skin in the game, the Canada Job Grant will lead to a guaranteed job. Helping employers train Canadians for jobs that need to be filled will help their businesses grow and succeed. And that is good news for the Northwest Territories economy."
– The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development

"The Canada Job Grant will help workers in the Northwest Territories get the skills they need to fill available jobs in today's economy. Today's announcement is great news for workers and their families across the Northwest Territories."
– The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

"We have worked to ensure that our employers and residents have both access to and support for training programs and resources to take advantage of our labour market opportunities. We have a strong partnership with Canada and with our industry partners across the North, which serves us well as we continue to improve our training and skills development initiatives. Through these partnerships and the projected growth of our labour market, resulting in part from the responsible development of the Northwest Territories' resource wealth, matching skilled workers with available jobs is now more critical than ever."
– The Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories

Associated Links

Canada Job Grant
Canada Job Grant (Northwest Territories)

---

Backgrounder

---

Canada–Northwest Territories Job Fund

The Labour Market Agreements, created in 2007, are being transformed into the new Canada Job Fund to ensure greater employer involvement in training. Through the Canada Job Fund, the Government of Canada will transfer approximately $1.1 million to the Government of the Northwest Territories. This includes the Northwest Territories' per capita share of the Canada Job Fund and $500,000 in supplementary funding to recognize the distinct labour market needs of the territory. 

Canada Job Grant

The Canada Job Grant will help Canadians get the training they need for available jobs and put skills training decisions in the hands of employers. It will provide up to $15,000 per person for training costs, such as tuition and training materials, which includes up to $10,000 in government contributions. Employers will be required to contribute one-third of the total costs of training.

The Government of Canada will provide over $650,000 annually to Northwest Territories for the Canada Job Grant once it is fully implemented. The Canada Job Grant will be delivered by the Northwest Territories.

By 2017–18, a total of approximately $300 million per year will be invested nationally in the Canada Job Grant.

The provinces and territories will have full flexibility on the source of funds for the Canada Job Grant. They may be sourced from provincial/territorial allocations under the Canada Job Fund, the Labour Market Development Agreements or provincial/territorial sources.

The Canada Job Grant will be for short-duration training provided by an eligible third-party trainer, such as community colleges, career colleges, trade union centres and private trainers. Training can be provided in a classroom, on site at a workplace or online.

All private and not-for-profit businesses with a plan to train Canadians for a new or better job will be eligible to apply for a Canada Job Grant.

The Canada Job Grant will be flexible enough to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, in all industries and regions. Small businesses will benefit from flexible arrangements, such as the potential to count wages as part of the employer contribution. This will help ensure that all businesses, regardless of size, can fully participate in the Canada Job Grant.

The Canada Job Grant will ensure that employers participate meaningfully as partners in the skills training system, sharing in the associated costs. This will ensure that training is better aligned with job opportunities, particularly in sectors facing skills mismatches and labour shortages.

The Canada Job Grant is strongly supported by employers and other stakeholders including:

• The Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO;
• National Association of Career Colleges;
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business;
• Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters;
• Canadian Construction Association;
• Information Technology Association of Canada;
• Canadian Welding Bureau;
• Engineers Canada;
• Progressive Contractors Association;
• Christian Labour Association of Canada;
• Canadian Home Builders' Association;
• Canadian Shipowners Association;
• Canadian Electricity Association;
• Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating;
• Merit Canada;
• Polytechnics Canada;
• Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada;
• Chemistry Industry Association of Canada; and
• Aerospace Industry Association of Canada.

SOURCE: Employment and Social Development Canada

Alexandra Fortier, Office of the Minister, 819-994-2482; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected], Follow us on Twitter; Jacqueline McKinnon, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories, 867-920-6222, [email protected]