Governments of Canada and Ontario celebrate success of Canada Job Grant

Governments of Canada and Ontario celebrate success of Canada Job Grant with new funding announcement

June 29, 2015           Dryden, Ontario          Employment and Social Development Canada       

       

Over 27,400 workers in Ontario are receiving training to fill available jobs thanks to funding provided through the Canada Job Grant. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development, and the Honourable Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario. To date, over 2,700 employers have been approved for funding to train new or current employees in Ontario.

The announcement took place at the Domtar Pulp Mill in Dryden, Ontario. The Domtar Pulp Mill has received $20,000 through the Canada Job Grant (with the employer investing an additional $11,500 in the training for a total of $31,500) to train nine employees in the area of supervision. The Domtar Pulp Mill manufactures softwood pulp for export markets.

The Canada Job Grant is an innovative, employer-driven approach to help Canadians gain the skills and training they need to fill available jobs. By requiring employers to invest in training costs, the Canada Job Grant will result in skills training that leads to guaranteed jobs. 

Under the Canada Job Grant in Ontario, the Government provides two-thirds of total eligible training costs, up to $10,000, for expenses such as tuition, textbooks and student fees. Employers are required to contribute the remaining one-third of these training costs, while small businesses have additional flexibility to make an in-kind contribution towards their share of the cost through wages paid to the training participant.

Today’s announcement is one example of what the Government is doing to help Canadians. The Government is also increasing the Universal Child Care Benefit. All families with children will benefit from the new Family Tax Cuts and Benefits Plan, which includes the Family Tax Cut, and the increased UCCB, Child Care Expense Deduction and the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit.

Quick Facts    

• Domtar’s Pulp Mill in Dryden, Ontario received $20,000 through the Canada Job Grant (with the employer investing an additional $11,500 in the training for a total of $31,500) to train nine employees in the area of supervision.

• On average, private-sector forecasters expect employment in Ontario to grow by 1.2 percent per year by 2017. Over the past three years, employment has increased by an annual average of 1.1 percent in Ontario.
• By 2017–18, over $115 million per year will be available for the Canada Job Grant in Ontario.
• Ontario is currently accepting employer applications for the Canada Job Grant. Employers are encouraged to apply at www.ontario.ca/employeetraining.
• Under the increased UCCB, families will receive almost $2,000 per year for each child under 6 and $720 per year for each child aged 6 through 17.

Quotes

“The Canada Job Grant is taking skills training choices out of the hands of government and putting them where they belong: in the hands of employers and Canadians who want to work. By having employers directly involved in training decisions, the Canada Job Grant will lead to guaranteed jobs and will help businesses grow and succeed. And that is good news for the Canadian economy.”

– The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development

“Our Government is helping Canadians get the skills and training they need to find good jobs and build better futures for themselves and their families. Through the Canada Job Grant, we are helping to contribute to Canada’s long-term growth, competitiveness and overall prosperity. We are proud to work with organizations like Domtar, so that Canadians gain the experience they need to succeed in the job market. I always value the opportunity to engage with business leaders and constituents on how our Government can continue delivering for jobs and the economy in northwestern Ontario.”

– The Honourable Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

“We know that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to skills training programs, and that’s why Ontario has worked so closely with job creators to maximize the flexibility and effectiveness of the Canada-Ontario Job Grant and other training programs. The quality of our skilled workforce has been and must continue to be Ontario’s single greatest competitive advantage, and I’m pleased that employers are responding positively to this opportunity to invest in training and development opportunities for their workforce, with help from government.”

– The Honourable Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and Minister of Research and Innovation

“Ontario is always looking for innovative ways to ensure that employers have the skilled workers they need to succeed. We are proud to support employers in Northern Ontario like Domtar, and encouraged to see that they are doing great work to provide more training to their own employees.”

– The Honourable Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and Northern Regional Minister

“We appreciate the support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant. It has assisted Domtar with the career development of young professionals to become supervisors and future leaders at our operation in Dryden.”

– Jim Blight, General Manager, Domtar Pulp Mill

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