Canada-BC Job Grant Eligibility Criteria

Canada-BC Job Grant Goal/Objectives: Canada-BC Job Grant Eligibility Criteria The CJG goal is to increase participation of British Columbians in the labour force and help them to develop the skills necessary to find and keep a job. The CJG objectives are: to encourage greater employer involvement in training to ensure that skills are better aligned to job opportunities; and make it as easy as possible for all residents of British Columbia to get the help they need to develop the skills necessary to quickly find and maintain employment. From Canada-BC Job Fund Agreement Eligibility Criteria: Employers meeting eligibility requirements are not guaranteed funding. The Ministry will assess applications on a first come, first served basis. Applications may be approved based on alignment with provincial priorities. All application approvals are subject to funding available. Approval of applications does not constitute an endorsement of any training provider or particular training course/program. Previous approval of a training provider does not guarantee approval in the future. All applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please note that all decisions regarding the eligibility of employers, participants, training providers, training programs and reimbursable training costs will be made by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training ( Ministry ) at the Ministry s sole discretion. Quality Assurance sampling and audits will be used to verify information provided. Canada-BC Job Grant Assessment Criteria PLEASE NOTE THAT ADDITIONAL CRITERIA MAY BE IN PLACE FOR TARGETED FUNDS. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THOSE WEB PAGES. CRITERIA Eligible Employer Individual employers and organizations acting on behalf of employers are eligible if operating in B.C. in the private and non-profit sectors. An eligible organization acting on behalf of employers ( Organization ) is defined as: A non-profit Industry Association or Society; A non-profit Employer Association; A union hall/joint training board; or Aboriginal organization. INTERPRETATION Aboriginal Band Councils, Friendship Centres, Associations and other Aboriginal organizations are eligible. Public sector employers are NOT eligible. This includes: provincial, federal or local governments, crown corporations, hospitals, schools, public post-secondary institutions, and federal and provincial agencies. An Industry or Employer Association must be an organization recognized by the industry and employers it serves. The purpose of this application pathway is to enable industry/employer organizations to support employers in identifying training opportunities for their current or future 1

Employers must have been registered on the Corporate Registry with BC Registry Services for at least a year at the time of application. Employer must have a job available in B.C. for the participant at the end of training. Employer or Organization must have met or be currently meeting all the commitments to the Province under any previously approved Canada-BC Job Grant. employees and to facilitate the coordination and delivery of that training. It is intended to support industry/employers to meet their labour market needs. Businesses that have not been registered with BC Registry Services for at least a year at the time of application are not eligible. The employer must intend in good faith to provide a job in B.C. to the current or future employee at the end of training. Employers or Organizations must have met or be currently meeting all obligations to the Province under previous grants to be eligible. These obligations include but are not limited to: All information provided on the application form is found to be true and correct. Any monies the employer or Organization receives as reimbursement from the training provider, which the employer or Organization has already received as reimbursement from the Province, must be returned to the Province. There are no required forms and other records outstanding. The employer may also be unable to re-apply under the following circumstances: Did not provide a job to a participant after training, except under exceptional circumstances, e.g. participant completed the training but did not pass the exam which is a requirement of the job. Did not submit Employer Completion Forms. Did not participate in Employer and Participant Outcome Surveys. Participant did not complete the training (where the employer was still required to pay). Eligible Participant Participants must be: At least 15 years old, and: Unemployed and seeking training to obtain a job; or Employed, but underemployed and seeking If a participant repeatedly does not complete training, that participant may become ineligible under any future Canada-BC Job Grant applications. Participants must be of working age and seeking training for a job or a Better Job. The immediate result of the training must be employment or a Better Job. For the purpose of the CJG, Better Job is defined as: 2

training for a Better Job; or Employed, but seeking training for a Better Job. Participants must be Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents, or Protected Persons (as designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) entitled to work in Canada. Increased job security, i.e. training will ensure participant can maintain employment; Increased job-related skills; Increase in pay; Promotion to another position; Move from part-time to full-time employment; or Move from temporary/casual/seasonal employment to permanent employment. Temporary Foreign Workers, International Students, Working Holiday Visas, or other Temporary Residents are NOT eligible to participate. Protected Persons, as designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, are eligible but must have a valid Work Permit. Participants who are immediate family members of the employer are not eligible. Participant cannot be enrolled in another federally or provincially funded training program at the same time. Eligible Training Programs Training must be relevant to the current needs of the business and the available job. Permanent Residents are persons who have immigrated permanently to Canada but have not become Canadian Citizens. An employer cannot apply to the CJG for training for their immediate family members (e.g. spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, sibling, etc.). Participants must have completed any other federally or provincially funded training programs before participating in the CJG. For example, a participant cannot be enrolled in an Industry Training Authority Women in Trades program at the same time as a CJG-funded training program. Training provided must be aligned with the business and the job. Training that is strictly for personal interest or development is not eligible. Training must lead to job skills development. Eligible training is limited to: Soft skills Essential skills Specialized or Technical skills Management or Business skills Foundation Programs and Apprenticeship Training are only eligible where seats are The CJG is not a bursary program and not intended to fund full degree/diploma programs. However, post-secondary courses that will lead to a degree/diploma are eligible if relevant to the current needs of the business and available job. Soft skills is defined as job readiness skills, personal management skills (e.g. personal goal setting, time management, organizational, etc.), working as a team, etc. Essential Skills is defined as training to develop the skills needed for work, learning and life: reading, writing, document use, numeracy, oral communication, thinking, digital technology, working with others, continuous learning. Definitions of the nine Essential Skills can be found at: 3

available. For Apprenticeship Training in Levels 2 and 3, participants must be from an Under- Represented Group in the labour force. http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/les/definitions/index.shtml Specialized/Technical is defined as training to develop skills required to operate a particular machine or use a particular technology; includes associated examinations and certificates. This training equips participants with job-related skills required specifically for the sector, such as to support the introduction of new technology, machinery and equipment, or work processes, and/or improve job performance. Management/business is defined as training to develop skills in strategic planning, leading and motivating, allocating and controlling resources, evaluating, co-ordinating and organizing, recruiting and hiring, and supervising; includes associated examinations and certificates. The intent of Managerial training is to build job skills within the sector to fill gaps in and for supervisors, forepersons and similar positions. Ineligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following: in-house training (delivered by the employer or employee), conferences, coaching/mentoring, networking, consulting, business services, trade shows, annual meetings, practicums and work experience. Under-Represented Groups in the labour force are: Aboriginal or First Nations peoples; Youth (aged 15-24); Women; Persons with disabilities; and Recent immigrants (in Canada 5 years or less). Training cannot have started prior to the application being submitted. The Grant is intended to assist employers to provide training to their employees that they otherwise might not have been able to provide. Training must start in the Fiscal Year in which the application was submitted. Training programs must be no more than 52 weeks in duration. Training must be provided in B.C., except under An employer or Organization may submit an application and proceed with training before the application is approved. However, if the application is not approved, the employer or Organization is responsible for any training costs incurred. A Fiscal Year runs from April 1 st March 31 st. Training approved must start in that year. Training cannot exceed 52 weeks. All applications must include start and end dates for each course in order to be assessed. Where an employer wishes to provide online training to their 4

exceptional circumstances i.e. highly specialized or technical training that is not available in BC. Eligible Training Provider Training must be delivered by an Eligible Third- Party Training Provider. Eligible training providers include: BC public post-secondary institutions Training organizations run by B.C. s school districts Registered trade/technical schools Union halls/joint training boards Recognized industry associations and industry association-approved trainers Small Business BC BC private post-secondary institutions registered with the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) for courses registered with PCTIA only Private training providers registered with PCTIA for courses registered with PCTIA only Other private training providers satisfactory to the Province (as outlined below). Private training providers not registered with PCTIA are only eligible if they meet the following conditions: Training rates and course descriptions must be posted (i.e. online) and remain stable. Training must be provided by a Qualified Instructor. The cost of training must be for delivery only. The CJG will not cover the costs of needs assessment nor curriculum development costs, nor materials, nor consulting nor business services. Satisfactory Course Outline must be included with the application. The Province must be satisfied that the costs of the training are not unreasonable. Eligible Training Costs Only the following are Training Costs eligible for reimbursement: employees and the training provider is outside B.C., the costs must not exceed costs for similar training in B.C. An Eligible Third-Party Training Provider is defined below: Must be independent of the employer. Training must be a main business activity of the training provider. There must be no conflict or perceived conflict of interest in the choice of training provider. The employer or Organization must ensure that the training provider meets these conditions. NOTE: PCTIA-registered training providers are only deemed eligible for programs registered with PCTIA. For nonregistered programs, they must meet eligibility requirements for non-registered private training providers (see below). Qualified Instructors must possess relevant educational or technical credentials and a minimum of 24 months of related occupational experience. The application must include evidence of the instructor s qualifications. A Course Outline must include: defined instructional objectives; measurable learning outcomes; course components; delivery methods; assessment methods; costs; hours; and duration. As stewards of public funds, the Ministry reserves the right to determine whether training costs are unreasonable. Mandatory Student Fees are fees that an institution charges to all students to provide access to the institution s activities 5

Tuition fees or fees charged by a third-party training provider; Mandatory Student Fees; Examination fees; and Textbooks, software and other required materials. A participant is only eligible to receive up to $10,000 in Canada-BC Job Grant funding per Fiscal Year (April 1 to March 31). Employer must contribute a minimum 1/3 of the eligible Training Costs. An employer or Organization must not have received or be receiving funding from another government program for any of the eligible Training Costs covered by the CJG. and services. These are not user fees and cannot be waived. Software or other required materials must be required for participation in the training. A physical asset, e.g. laptop, or software license that is retained past the training, is ineligible. Ineligible Costs include, but are not limited to: Participant travel costs Accommodation Meals Membership fees Software purchase/license for the business needs, not training needs Courses that are normally offered free of charge Laptops, tablets and other hardware Equipment, such as boots, tools, etc. Applications that include these costs will be denied. A participant can be included in more than one grant application in a fiscal year. However, the total amount of funding requested per Fiscal Year for each participant cannot exceed $10,000. The CJG will cover up to 2/3 rd of eligible Training Costs. The employer or Organization is responsible for all costs not considered eligible. If an employer or Organization has or will receive other government funding to cover any of the Training Costs that will be reimbursed by the CJG, they are not eligible to apply. This is not applicable to the 1/3 employer contribution. Canada-BC Job Grant Reimbursement Criteria The Ministry will only reimburse approved training and training costs, based on the CJG/Employer or CJG/Organization agreement. Training costs must be paid in full by the employer/organization before CJG will reimburse any costs of training. Training must also have started. Reimbursement will only be issued where participants, employers, training providers, training and training costs are eligible. CRITERIA Reimbursement Conditions Employer or Organization must demonstrate that they have paid the training provider in full for the cost of the eligible training. INTERPRETATION The employer/organization must submit documentation verifying cost and training start date(s) for which the employer/organization is seeking reimbursement. If a participant pays for training, the employer/organization must demonstrate that the participant has been reimbursed 6

by the employer/organization. Employer/Organization will only be reimbursed for agreed-upon eligible Training Costs. The employer/organization is responsible for all costs not reimbursed by the Ministry. The Ministry reserves the right to request additional documentation as required on a case-by-case basis to verify reimbursement costs. The Ministry will reimburse for eligible Training Costs up to maximum individual amounts or the maximum total amounts set out in the Agreement. Participants must have started training before payment will be issued. Employer/Organization must submit reimbursement claim within 60 business days of the start of training. If the Employer/Organization seeks reimbursement for an Ineligible Cost, that Cost will be deducted from the reimbursement and the 1/3 contribution from the employer will be recalculated. Payment will be made accordingly. The employer/organization can submit a reimbursement claim as soon as participants have started the training. If an employer/organization does not submit a claim within 60 business days, the Agreement will be considered closed and funding will be re-allocated. This is to ensure the CJG funds can be re-invested in training for British Columbians. NOTE: The employer/organization has the flexibility to make some modifications to their agreement as long as: The maximum amount approved for each individual and for the total Grant is not exceeded; All modifications meet eligibility criteria; Training start dates are still within the Fiscal Year for which they were approved; and The Ministry is immediately notified of any changes. This flexibility does not apply to training providers or to training programs. These changes must be approved by the Ministry before any reimbursement claim is submitted. 7