Did you know that there are funds available locally that can help you with the cost of training new hires, getting them ready for their first day of work, or to fund community projects and initiatives? This is above and beyond the work we do to support employers’ recruitment and retention efforts in our communities.
When a job seeker has a job offer and requires essential gear, clothing, or a certificate to start a new job we may be able to help. Before they start work, purchase the item, or enroll in the course have them drop by our office to see if we can help by paying for the essentials required for their first day of work. Examples include: paying for their Serving it Right, Food Safe, WHMIS, WorldHost or First Aid course; paying for their uniform or safety gear; or buying them a bus pass or gas card to get them to work until their first pay cheque.
Sometimes the best hire may require a little extra training. In recognition of this a wage subsidy provides financial support to an employer as incentive to hire and provide work experience and skills enhancement to an eligible job seeker. The duration and rate of the subsidy is directly related to the complexity of the job and the job seeker’s abilities, skills, and experiences. Normally, the duration does not exceed 24 weeks and the average subsidy rate is 50 percent.
There are four streams of funding available through the Community and Employer Partnership fund, which is administered through the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation.
1.
Job Creation Partnerships – Provide funding to organizations to assist with local projects that provide benefit to the community and that provide useful work experience and skill enhancement opportunities to eligible job seekers.
2. Labour Market Partnerships – Provide funding to assist organizations to encourage, support and facilitate addressing labour force imbalances and human resource planning activities. Labour Market Partnerships also includes the Employer Sponsored Training program that provides eligible employers with financial assistance to support training activities for employees who would otherwise lose their jobs.
3. Research and Innovation – Provides funding for eligible projects to explore and/or find untried and untested methods of delivering programming to help individuals find or return to work as quickly as possible.
4. Project Based Labour Market Training – Provides funding to organizations to assist with local projects that provide a combination of on and/or off the job employment training to eligible participants.
Have a friend keen to follow in your shoes and start their own business? If they have not yet launched and are still in the business plan phase, please send them our way so they can access free support to develop the business plan, entrepreneurial workshops to ensure they have the required skills, and ongoing coaching and mentoring. Financial supports are also available (including into launch) and could include living supports to a maximum of $300/week for 48 to 68 weeks!
