Canada-Alberta Job Grant

The Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG) is a training program where an employer applies on behalf of their present or future employee(s) for eligible training costs. Employers decide who gets training and what type of training may be needed for their employees, they are also responsible for finding appropriate training providers and programs.

Temporary program changes:

The following program changes expand eligibility to help businesses access the training they need. These temporary changes are effective from February 18, 2021, until February 28, 2022.

1. Eligible trainee now includes employed family members of eligible employers.
2. Business owners (incorporated, unincorporated/sole-proprietor and partnerships) with 4 or fewer employees, including all owners, are now eligible to train themselves.
3. Training is no longer required to be incremental.

Operational program changes:

The following permanent operational changes will make the application process more efficient. These permanent changes are effective as of February 18, 2021.

1. Training can start once the application is received by the CAJG.
2. Employers may pay for training at any time; however, the training cannot start until all trainee(s) have signed the application and the application is received by the CAJG.
3. Course information is no longer required to be listed on the training
   provider’s website.
4. Customized training is eligible.
5. Revised list of the eligible and ineligible training costs. Please see the Applicant Guide for the full list.

COVID-19 response: Approved grants extension

Deadlines for currently approved grants are extended by 3 months. Training can start within 9 months of grant approval and must be completed within 15 months of the training start date.

• If a course is postponed, contact Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG) to update your file when you get a new course date from the training provider.
• If a course is cancelled, contact CAJG to withdraw. If you plan to re-apply for a course at a later date, get a refund from the provider or institution, not a credit.
• If a course changed format from in-person to online, include this in the Training Completion Form. You don’t need to notify CAJG now.

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/trainee per fiscal year. If hiring and training an unemployed Albertan, up to 100% of training costs could be covered, up to $15,000/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 100km one way within Alberta for small and medium-sized organizations

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), and
• Employers must have current or potential employees who need the 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 and partnerships) with 4 or fewer employees are now eligible to train themselves.
• 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

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 course(s) start date,
• result in some credentials (record of completion, certification, grade, etc.), and
• 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.

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

How to apply