Workforce Consultant Newsletter 

September 2023 Edition 

Employer Resources 

The following list of resources is not exhaustive and is updated on an ongoing basis. 

Note that funding opportunities may have application windows. 

Grants and Funding Programs – General 

Canada Alberta Job Grant (Government of Alberta) – gives eligible Alberta businesses an opportunity to increase their  productivity, the skill levels of their employees, and their ability to retain workers. 

• CAJG covers 66% of training costs for current employees to a maximum of $10,000 per trainee per year. • If hiring and training an unemployed Albertan, up to 100% of training costs are covered, up to $15,000 per trainee. • CAJG covers direct training costs, including tuition fees, exam fees, textbooks, software and eligible travel costs. • Applications are accepted year-round.  

Indigenous Employment Training Partnerships Program (Government of Alberta) – grant funding for Indigenous communities  and organizations to deliver group-training projects designed in partnership with employers and other partners. 

Northern and Regional Economic Development Program (NRED) (Government of Alberta) – funds initiatives led by Alberta  municipalities, Indigenous communities, and non-profits that promote regional economic development and diversification. 

Wage subsidies and assistance programs (Government of Canada) – information on federal programs to help you hire the  right employees for your business. 

WCB Training on the Job program – offers a subsidy to employers to hire and train someone who is unable to return to their  regular job due to a workplace injury. The worker develops skills and gains work experience while the employer receives  financial support from WCB during the employee’s training period.  

Workforce Partnership Grant (Government of Alberta) – grant program to support labour market adjustment strategies and  workforce development through partnerships. The program includes Labour Market Partnerships and Workforce Attraction and  Retention Partnership projects. 

Workforce Strategies Grant (Government of Alberta) – grants to support organizations with innovative solutions that will help  Albertans develop new skills and assist employers and industry to grow their workforce. 

Workplace Training Program (Government of Alberta) – offers eligible Albertans work-site training and paid work experience.  Participating employers provide on-the-job training and/or work experience with government funding contributions, with the  expectation that participants maintain employment after completion of the program.

Grants and Funding Programs – Industry-Specific 

Addressing the Agriculture Labour Task Force Grant Program - funding to increase public awareness of agricultural career  opportunities and to provide human resources training to support worker retention. 

AFPA's Food Futures Program - Wage subsidies of 50% (maximum subsidy $5,000) are available to hire current post secondary students and recent grads (within 6 months) for temporary work experience placements (minimum 200 hours).  Placements can be in any area relevant to the industry, including nutrition and food science, agriculture, technologists,  accounting and finance, human resources, IT, logistics, safety, engineering, business, etc. 

Child Care Space Creation Grant (Government of Alberta) – funding for new non-profit licensed childcare spaces. 

Construction New Talent Grant Program (albertaconstruction.net) –Wage subsidies of 50% (maximum subsidy of $5,000) are  available to hire current post-secondary students and recent grads (up to 6 months) for temporary work experience  placements at least 3 weeks in length. Placements can be engineers, technologists, accounting and finance, human  resources, IT, logistics, procurement, safety, marketing, etc.  

Driving Back to Work Grant (Government of Alberta) – grant program to support unemployed Albertans pursuing careers in the  trucking industry.  

ECO Canada - Training & Wage Subsidies for Environmental Jobs - as the steward for the Canadian Environmental workforce  across all industries, we offer employment programs that stimulate environmental career pathways, skill development,  business growth, workforce support and workforce advancement through wage and training funding. 

Partnering to Provide Child Care and Keep Parents Working - Call for Proposals (Government of Canada) – Alberta Seniors,  Community and Social Services is seeking proposals for innovative projects to ensure marginally employed and/or  underemployed Albertans have access to supportive, quality child-care options that contribute to the overall success of their  employment. This grant opportunity (Reference Number: AB-2023-01998) closes at 4:00pm on September 15, 2023. 

Trucking HR Canada - Career Expressway - supports employers with recruitment efforts, helping them take advantage of  industry specific financial incentives while connecting them with career seekers in the trucking and logistics sector. 

Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) (Government of Canada) - funding for agriculture employers hiring youth and youth facing barriers.

Grants and Funding Programs – Youth and Apprenticeships 

Apprenticeship Service (Government of Canada) - supports employers to hire new first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal  trades. Small and medium-sized employers can get funding to hire first year apprentices. 

Canada Summer Jobs wage subsidy (Government of Canada) – wage subsidies to employers with 50 or fewer full-time  employees to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years. 

Canadian Apprenticeship Service (apprenticesearch.com) – Financial support to offset the costs for hiring and training first  year apprentices in 39 Red Seal Trades.  

CAREERS - Youth Internship Incentive Program (YIIP) – CAREERS works with Alberta schools to connect students to  employers for paid internships. YIIP provides qualified employers with financial incentives to hire interns.  

Empowering Futures for Apprentices (Electricity Human Resources Canada) – student work placement program for the  electricity industry that provides subsidies to organizations who create these opportunities. 

FIRST (First Industry Research Science Technology) Jobs Pilot Program (Technology Alberta) - meaningful work experience  for students or recent graduates of an Alberta post-secondary institution while supporting growth of Alberta’s Tech Sector. 

Rupertsland Institute Apprenticeship Service Program – Small and medium-sized enterprises can apply for a financial  incentive of up to $10,000 to support the hiring of apprentices who identify as Métis, First Nations, and/or women (gender). To  participate in the program as an apprentice, an individual must self-identify as Métis, First Nations, and/or as a woman  (gender), as well as be ready to enter their first year of a trade in construction or manufacturing.  

Student Work Placement Program (Government of Canada) - gives post-secondary students paid work experience related to  their field of study. Employers are eligible for up to $5,000 for every student hired and up to $7,000 for first year students or  students from an under-represented group (women in STEM, persons with disabilities, newcomers, Indigenous students,  visible minorities). 

Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Funding Programs (Government of Canada) – a range of funding programs to  help young people get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful  transition into the labour market.

Resources – Employee Attraction, Recruitment, and Retention 

Agriculture Job Connector – matching workers with employers to fill agriculture and agri-food jobs. Business Link – small business advice in Alberta to help small businesses start and thrive.  

Careers In Energy – free resources for small to large energy industry employers to help hiring and retention practices evolve  and shift with the changing skills and knowledge demands of the energy sector. 

Job Bank – advertise your job for free and access free tools and resources to help you find, hire, and retain the right workers.  Jobs for Ukraine provides information on how to promote jobs to Ukrainians coming to Canada to escape the crisis in their  country. 

Level UP – enables employers to connect with students from schools across Canada for paid, short-term, remote projects. 

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) – federal department that supports economic growth across the  Canadian Prairies by helping people navigate federal economic programs and services.  

Rural Roots – Work Integrated Learning (Rural Development Network) - facilitates matches between employers of all types  with innovative and talented undergraduate students. 

Tourism HR Canada – pan-Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce by  facilitating, coordinating, and enabling human resource development activities.  

Wage and salary information | Alberta.ca

Other Programs and Resources 

Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) (Government of Alberta) - an economic immigration program for permanent  residence in Alberta. Nominees must have skills to fill job shortages or be planning to buy or start a business in Alberta. AAIP  includes several streams, including the Rural Entrepreneur Stream (RES) and the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS).  

Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) (Government of Alberta) – easy to use tool that lets public and private sector users  manage, advertise, distribute and download public purchasing opportunities for goods, services, and construction in Alberta.  Check APC for funding or proposal opportunities.  

Business Benefits Finder (Government of Canada) - get a tailored list of government programs and services for your business. Business Link – resources to assist small businesses to start and thrive. 

Community Futures Alberta – offers business loans, resources, mentoring, guidance and support for rural small business  owners and entrepreneurs.  

Employment Standards (Government of Alberta) – rules, regulations, compliance measures, and education and resources for  employers and employees in Alberta workplaces.  

Labour Board Alberta - Free Helpline for Employers 

Health and safety eNews (Government of Alberta) – monthly e-newsletter with the latest Occupational Health and Safety news and events. 

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) (Government of Canada) – the federal department that supports  economic growth across the Canadian Prairies by helping people navigate federal economic programs and services.  

Regional economic development resources | Alberta.ca – provides resources to help community leaders, industry and  business diversify and grow their regional economies.  

Tradesecrets (Government of Alberta) – information about apprentice services, certification, trades in Alberta, regulations, and  resources.

©2022 Government of Alberta | June 2023 | Jobs, Economy and Trade Classification: Public