Second Career - Questions and Answers Client Eligibility 1. The definition of interim job to make ends meet reads, in part, A job that a laid-off individual has been compelled to take while seeking better employment. What is meant by seeking better employment? Seeking better employment means that an individual wants a job with a higher wage or a higher skill level or more opportunity for the future. The individual must have made some effort to find a better job. Proof of job search is not required. 2. There are exceptions to the $28,000 cap; disability accommodation, dependent care, living away from home and costs associated with academic upgrading. Is there a limit on these exceptions? MTCU staff will apply the normal rules of determining support when calculating these costs. There is no secondary limit on the exceptions to the $28,000 cap. 3. Can a client who has marketable skills be approved for Second Career training? YES, as long as the individual wants to move to a better job and needs skills training to get there. Second Career is intended to help laid-off individuals move up to better jobs than they could get without the training. A "better job" must be higher wage or higher skill-level or offer more opportunity for the future. EI-eligible individuals must be training for a better NOC B job. Non-EI-eligible clients must be training for a better NOC B or NOC C job. If a client can get an equally good job without Second Career training, MTCU will not approve Second Career. The OEAS assessment and RTWAP process identifies the client's barriers to employment. If an inexpensive short-duration employment service is all that is needed, then that is what should be approved. 4. Are workers who have received a severance package eligible for Second Career? YES. An individual who has received a severance package is eligible for Second Career. Severance is a lump sum payment in one or more instalments paid to an employee upon termination. Severance compensates the employee for loss of seniority and job related benefits. The allocation of the severance package will affect the negotiation of the individual s basic living allowance. 5. Are unemployed temporary or contract workers eligible for consideration under Second Career? Unemployed temporary or contract workers are eligible for consideration under Second Career only if the worker was laid-off on or after January 1, 2005 and then took the subsequent temporary or contract work in order to make ends meet. 6. Are workers on salary continuance eligible for Second Career? YES. Salary continuance is an alternative to paying a laid-off worker pay in lieu of notice or severance. The workers receive their salary as per the regular pay schedule for a designated period and they may also receive some or all of their benefits as well. Clients on salary continuance who are 1
approved for Second Career will complete a financial assessment like all other Second Career clients to determine their ability to contribute to the cost of training. 7. What is the minimum amount of time (ie. 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year?) a person has to have worked at their job prior to lay-off in order to consider them for Second Career? There has never been any definition regarding labour attachment for any of the current OEBSM programs (Ontario Skills Development, etc.) and there is no definition for the purposes of Second Career. The intention of Second Career is to support individuals who clearly have established a first career in the local labour market and need assistance in transitioning to a new career. Collaboration between the local TCU offices and the EAS service providers in ensuring that referrals and approvals of individuals under Second Career are reasonable and appropriate, as well as linking individuals to other EO programs and services will be critical to the success of Second Career. 8. Are self-employed individuals, with no recent labour force attachment eligible for Second Career? Self-employed individuals are eligible for consideration under Second Career only if the individual was laid-off on or after January 1, 2005 and then became self-employed in order to make ends meet. 9. Are laid-off seasonal workers eligible for Second Career? YES, subject to all other Second Career criteria. 10. If a person starts a multi year program without applying for Second Career, starts training and discovers others are being funded, can they be approved for funding after they have already started their program for Second Career? Individuals who start training prior to applying for assistance from MTCU, or apply for year 2 after completing year 1 on their own are not eligible, unless there are rare and exceptional circumstances. 11. Is an individual who is laid-off in another province or the United States eligible for Second Career? Individuals who were laid-off after January 1, 2005 from a job in the United States or another province are eligible for Second Career if they were permanent residents of Ontario (i.e. their home address was in Ontario) at the time they were laid-off. 12. Can Second Career support entry into the labour market, for example school-to-work transition, or newcomer employment or return after a long absence from the labour force? The intent of Second Career is to support individuals who have established a first career in the local labour market and need assistance in transitioning to a second career. There is no defined minimum time for that labour force attachment before a lay off has occurred. Since non-ei-eligible individuals can apply, the time employed is not what is required to establish an EI claim. But short-term, temporary employment is not enough and a student laid off after a summer job, en route to further education, is not an appropriate referral to Second Career. 13. Is an individual who was laid-off, but is now in receipt of a recall to work notice from their former employer, eligible for Second Career? 2
YES, subject to all other Second Career criteria. The individual s RTWAP should confirm that skills training is the appropriate intervention for the individual rather than returning to their previous employment. Please note that individuals who are in receipt of a recall notice are not eligible for consideration under OSD per 3.2.1 (c) Factors for Consideration When Assessing the Appropriateness of the Ontario Skills Development Benefit of the current OSD Guidelines. Types of Training 1. Can apprenticeship related training (Co-Op Diploma Apprenticeship, Pre-Apprenticeship, etc.) be supported under Second Career? YES. Please refer to the comprehensive note on the ETD Intranet site for details. 2. Can academic upgrading skills be considered as part of Second Career? YES. if an individual requires academic upgrading as a prerequisite for approved skills training. In these instances it must be determined whether the move towards a high skilled, demand occupation is achievable for the particular worker within the given timeframe. Academic upgrading as a stand alone intervention (without subsequent skills training) cannot be considered under Second Career. 3. Can a work term be considered as part of the overall intervention? If so, how long can that work placement be? YES. A work term can be part of a Second Career intervention, provided that it meets the criteria as indicated in the Ontario Skills Development guidelines (Section 3.4) concerning work placements or practicum. 4. Should skills training in Provinces outside of Ontario be considered under Second Career? Only in exceptional circumstances where the required skills training is not available locally and this is the best option. 5. Does the training duration referred to in the Second Career Guidelines mean the total in-class period or calendar years from the training start date? It means calendar years. For EI active claimants and EI reachback - Skills training of between 6 months and 2 calendar years in duration for NOC Level B and equivalent occupations in demand in Ontario. Where necessary, as a prerequisite for skills training, up to one calendar year of academic upgrading. For Non-EI-eligible - Skills training of any duration up to 2 calendar years for either NOC Level B or NOC Level C occupations and equivalent in demand in Ontario. Where necessary, as a prerequisite for skills training, up to one calendar year of academic upgrading. 3
It is acknowledged that, due to scheduling, in some instances the final term/semester in a training plan may extend beyond the 3 calendar year window. In such cases, the final term/semester should end within a reasonable time (i.e. within approximately one or two months) of the 3 month year window. 6. Does the requirement to research a minimum of one publicly assisted college of applied arts and technology or if the applicant wants to take training at a private career college, research two schools including a publicly assisted college of applied arts and technology (where feasible) apply to literacy and upgrading requests? YES, the training institution requirement applies to literacy and upgrading requests. 7. Can English as a Second Language (ESL) or French as a Second Language (FSL) training be supported by Second Career? YES. ESL or FSL training, like academic upgrading, can be supported under the Second Career program provided that it is a prerequisite for the specific skills training the individual is seeking and is supported by the Return to Work Action Plan. The time an individual spends in ESL, FSL and/or academic upgrading cannot exceed one year and is in addition to the 2 year limit on skill training. The costs associated with ESL/FSL training do not count towards the $28,000 maximum. 8. Can Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) be supported by Second Career? NO. PLAR is an assessment of an individual s skill set and is not considered to be upgrading or training for the purposes of consideration under Second Career. 9. What does where feasible mean? MTCU will not force an individual to take training in a distant community. If a Second Career applicant is interested in specific training and there are only private career colleges offering the training in their community and no community college offering it, then it would be reasonable that they only research the private career colleges. If the Second Career applicant is aware that the program is not available on a timely basis at the publically assisted college of applied arts and technology then it would be reasonable that they only research the private career colleges. 10. Why was the school research requirement for Second Career and the Ontario Skills Development program changed to a minimum of one publicly assisted college of applied arts and technology or if the applicant want to take training at a private career college, research two schools including a publicly assisted college of applied arts and technology? NEW The change to the Second Career and Ontario Skills Development school research requirement was, as part of an overall strategy to make the Second Career and Ontario Skills Development application process more streamlined, to reduce the burden of research that individuals were required to conduct as part of their Second Career and Ontario Skills Development applications. The school research requirement only articulates a minimum research requirement, and does not prevent individuals from researching as many training options as they feel necessary to make an informed training choice. 4
11. Are School Boards and School Board affiliates considered eligible training providers under Second Career (SC) and Ontario Skills Development (OSD)? Yes. School Boards and School Board affiliates are eligible training providers of academic upgrading and skills training in accordance with the guidelines of SC and OSD. Administration 1. How far in advance of a requested start date can the local office accept an application for Second Career? There is currently no restriction on how far in advance an individual may submit an application for Second Career. Individuals who are in receipt of Employment Insurance at the time of applying to Second Career must continue to be available and be looking for work for the duration of their Employment Insurance claim. 2. If an individual applies to TCU for funding under Ontario Skills Development (OSD), can the local office "flip" the OSD application and consider the individual for funding under Second Career? NO. An Ontario Skills Development Benefit application cannot be used to apply for the Second Career, because the current OSD Application contains no reference to Second Career. The Notice of Collection of Personal Information contained in the current OSD Application does not appropriately inform applicants about the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information under Second Career. Note, however, that a Second Career application can be transferred to OSD if that is necessary; for example, if an EI-eligible individual is requesting NOC C training. The local MTCU office should work with the EAS provider to ensure that the individual is applying for the most appropriate program and that the EAS provider has a copy of the Second Career application form. It is downloadable from: http://www.eopg.ca/eng/secondcareer.html 3. Are ancillary fees considered an eligible cost under Second Career? YES. Ancillary fees can be considered for funding under Second Career. Should ancillary fees be paid to an individual under a Second Career contract, the ancillary fees should be paid out under the "Other Instructional Costs" category. 4. Clients who apply for acceptance at a Community College are required to apply online through the Ontario College Application Services (OCAS) system. In order to do so, clients are required to submit a non-refundable $85.00 fee. Is this an eligible cost under Second Career? In an effort to increase the access for clients who are applying for Second Career some community colleges are waiving the $85 application fee. If the college has not waived this fee, then this may be considered an ancillary fee and can be considered for Second Career funding under the Other Instructional Costs category. 5. With Second Career should we write a yearly agreement or should we write an agreement for the whole duration of the skills training? 5
Write a single agreement for the entire duration of the individual's Second Career skills training intervention. This approach to contract administration should allow the local office to better manage the anticipated total value of support to any individual and the overall Second Career budget. The client agreement can be amended, as required, to adjust the supports to the individual (i.e. if the client works between skills training semesters and requires less financial assistance during the subsequent semester) during the intervention. Academic upgrading and other prerequisite training can be funded under a separate contribution agreement. 6. If an overpayment results from year one of a Second Career intervention, can we recoup the amount from year 2 funds? Whatever process is currently in place locally re the administration of overpayments should also apply to the administration of overpayments on Second Career agreements. 7. What if the individual does not provide a receipt for the first Second Career tuition payment? Should we release the subsequent Second Career tuition payment? Whatever process is currently in place locally re the administration of payment instalments should also apply to the administration of payment instalments on Second Career. 8. When entering a training intervention in CSGC, we are using the full 2 or 3 year period. Can the CSGC Desktop Aid include directions for LMDAccess Section 25 approval as the approval can only be for the year to year in school? Although it seems obvious, I have had questions on what dates to enter for start and end date. Verification of EI eligibility via LMDA Access remains the same for the duration of Second Career (including any academic upgrading) once a client has been approved. For example, if Second Career is approved for three years the EI/Reach back status is checked only once (prior to approval), even if the financial agreement is approved/signed year to year. The start-end dates would be the start-end dates of the financial approval for Second Career (year to year or full duration). The Second Career desk aid will not be amended. 9. How can ETCs validate the lay-off date for the worker who is applying for Second Career? The worker client s signature on the Second Career application validates through the Attestation statement that the information has been read and understood, is true, accurate and complete in every respect. The Second Career contribution agreement also articulates the consequences of false or misleading information (i.e. that the individual may be required to repay some or all of the financial assistance that may be approved by the Ministry). 11. What happens if the Second Career application is not approved by the ETC? If a Second Career application is not approved, the decision will be reviewed by the Employment Manager. The local office also has the discretion to consider EI-eligible clients for OSD. 12. When can we expect new forms and marketing tools to be shared with local TCU offices? Check the site below often for the latest Second Career updates - http://intra.edu.gov.on.ca/etd/html/eo_career_guidelines.htm 6
All English Second Career documents for external partners, including the Second Career application form, are posted on the Employment Ontario Partners Gateway: http://www.eopg.ca/eng/secondcareer.html All French Second Career documents for external partners, including the Second Career application form, are posted on the Employment Ontario Partners Gateway: http://www.eopg.ca/fre/secondcareer.html 13. Has a Fail Safe block been incorporated into CSGC to ensure appropriate payment to Non- Insured Second Career clients occurs? Please refer to the comprehensive note on the ETD site for details. 14. How should clients who have received severance monies be handled? Service Canada makes an allocation of any severance monies, received by a client, to Part I. LMDA Access should be checked to determine how the allocation has been made and when they would be in receipt of EI benefits. CSGC would indicate 'Yes as the client being eligible for EI benefits at that particular time. 15. What costs can be covered in the Living Away From Home category? Should we follow the SD - Apprenticeship guidelines and provide a living away from home allowance rate ($116/week) or can we provide financial assistance for actual amounts clients require for rent (or hotel stay, etc) while living away from home? Second Career participants are not entitled to the $116/week LAFH apprenticeship allowance, nor should a weekly LAFH allowance be provided to Second Career participants. Second Career funding for costs associated with living away from home for participation in skills training should be based on the actual living away from home expenses (one-time to and from transportation, temporary accommodations, etc.) incurred by the participant that are not included in the allocation of the Basic Living Allowance for the individual. Relationship to TCU Adjustment Programming 1. If an Action Centre purchases skills training for an individual with funds from an Adjustment Advisory Program grant agreement, does the value of that skills training purchase ($10,000 for example) count against the $28,000 Second Career funding cap on the total supports available to the individual? YES. In the example above, the total amount of support the individual could be provided under Second Career would be $18,000 ($28,000 minus $10,000 skills training purchase). Please refer to the comprehensive note on the ETD site for details. Other 1. Would it be expected that clients could apply for OSAP to help them with any shortfall that Second Career may not afford them given the $28,000 cap? 7
It is anticipated that Second Career will be able to provide individuals with the appropriate level of assistance to participate in long-term skills-training. Individuals can apply for OSAP if they wish however there is no guarantee that OSAP will approve individuals for funding. 2. Is there a minimum required Job Search period an individual must undertake in order to be considered for support under Second Career? There is no minimum required job search period. 8