The Canada-Alberta Job Grant is a training program where an employer applies on behalf of their present or future employees for eligible training costs. Employers decide who gets training and what type of training may be needed for their employees.

Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Workforce Development Agreement.

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Funding

 

Eligible employers are required to contribute a minimum of one-third of the total training costs for existing employees. Government contributes two-thirds of the cost to a maximum of $10,000 per trainee per fiscal year. If hiring and training an unemployed Albertan, up to 100% of training costs could be covered, up to $15,000 per trainee.

Individual employers will have a cap of $300,000 for the amount of grant funding they can receive per fiscal year. This ensures that funding is available for as many Alberta employers as possible.

 

The CAJG is available for direct training costs only, including:

• tuition fees or instructional fees charged by the training provider

• mandatory student fees

• examination fees

• textbooks or software

• other required materials directly relevant to the training course and distinct from materials required to run the employer's business

• eligible travel cost for participant and trainers (outside of Edmonton and Calgary) when training is over 100 km one way within Alberta for small and medium-sized organizations (see Appendix A of the Applicant Guide for details

Employee wages cannot be reimbursed through the grant and Income Support is not available for workers who are in grant-funded training.

 

Eligibility

 

Eligible employers

The CAJG is available to:

• private sector employers, including sole proprietors and partnerships

• non-profit sector employers

• First Nations and Metis Settlements

• the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (if in a community with a population of 100,000 or less)

• Alberta Treasury Branches (if in a community with a population of 100,000 or less)

To be eligible, Alberta employers must have current or potential employees who need training to fill current or future positions.

 

Eligible trainees

CAJG trainees must be one of the following:

• Canadian citizens

• permanent residents

• protected people under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) who are entitled to work in Canada

• business owners (incorporated, unincorporated, sole-proprietor, partnerships) with 4 or fewer employees, including all owners, are now eligible trainees

• employed family members

All eligible trainees must live in Alberta.

 

Ineligible trainees

The following individuals are not eligible as Canada-Alberta Job Grant trainees:

• company owners (includes shareholders of a corporation and any member of the employer's board or council) of businesses with more than 4 employees

• family members who are not current employees

• Temporary Foreign Workers, or anyone temporarily working in Canada

Refer to the Canada-Alberta Job Grant Applicant Guide for complete eligibility criteria.

 

Training providers

Employers are responsible for finding appropriate training providers and programs.

Training providers must be third-party trainers separate and distinct from the employer. The employer may not act as the training provider and the training provider may not employ the individual it is training. Training must be a main business activity of the training provider.

 

Training

 

Requirements

Training must:

• total 21 instructional hours or longer per trainee per application

• start within 6 months after receiving Canada-Alberta Job Grant approval

• be completed within 52 weeks of the training courses start date

• result in some credential (record of completion, certification, grade, and so on)

Training may be delivered on a full or part-time basis, and may be any combination of online, on-site or in a classroom setting.

Apprenticeship Technical Training programs and self-study models like instructional books or DVDs are not supported by the Canada-Alberta Job Grant.

 

Trainees receiving Employment Insurance (EI)

Employers must declare on the Canada-Alberta Job Grant Application if their trainee is receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

A trainee receiving EI benefits must notify their EI case worker of the training as soon as possible, to ensure they continue to receive their benefits.

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How to apply

Please visit alberta.ca/cajg to apply through the application portal. Applicants are advised to submit applications at least 30 days in advance of the start date of the training.

Use the following application checklist documents to ensure that all requirements are completed:

• Canada-Alberta Job Grant Application Checklist for Employed Trainees 

• Canada-Alberta Job Grant Application Checklist for Unemployed Trainees

 

For more information, download and read the CAJG Application Guide :

https://open.alberta.ca/publications/canada-alberta-job-grant-applicant-guide

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For complete program details and tips on how to complete the application forms and avoid delays in processing and approval, visit the official Canada-Alberta Job Grant site :

https://www.alberta.ca/canada-alberta-job-grant.aspx

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Do you live outside of Alberta?
The Canada Job Grant is available through many different provincial governments. Each program is specific to your province of residence or employment. To find out more about your specific province's application eligibility or requirements, please follow the links below. 

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• British Columbia

• Manitoba

• Newfoundland and Labrador

• Nunavut

• Ontario

• Saskatchewan