Getting the (skilled) help you need

It’s clear that one of the biggest challenges facing Canadian manufacturing businesses today is hiring, training, and retaining skilled tradespeople. When demand is high and supply is low, what can you do to fill the much-needed positions on the shop floor?

One option is hiring and training from within, while other options include contracting an external recruiting agency and hiring temporary workers. Often, multiple methods are combined in the hopes of finding the right fit and the right set of qualifications for skilled trades roles.

The good news is that there are grants available from the Canadian government to help support the manufacturing sector through these challenges by providing funding to offset costs of recruitment and training activities, such as upskilling existing employees.

Applying for these programs can be confusing. If you’ve never navigated the government funding process before, it’s a good idea to solicit help from consultants who are experts on how the funding process works, including navigating eligibility and timelines.

Available Grants for Skilled Trades Positions

These three funding programs are currently open for intake and can help your manufacturing business hire or retrain staff, improve team effectiveness, and train new and existing staff in areas such as advanced technologies or operational processes.

1. Apprenticeship Funding Programs

Several hiring and training programs offer incentives to businesses that hire recent graduates into apprenticeship roles or apprentices in one of the 39 Red Seal trades.

Funding Amount: Your business could receive $5,000 per candidate or $10,000 per candidate when hiring from an equity-deserving group (women, Indigenous Peoples; newcomers to Canada; persons with disabilities; racialized communities, including black Canadians; and LGBTQ2+).

Eligibility: The candidate must be an apprentice in one of the 39 Red Seal trades and the employer must have 499 employees or fewer.

Details: All candidates must be a first-year apprentice in the Red Seal trades, be new to the organization, and have a minimum three-month placement. There is no age limit for this funding.

Additionally, apprenticeship tax credit programs are available that offer non-refundable funding equal to 10 per cent of the eligible salaries, where the maximum credit an employer can claim is $2,000 per year for each eligible apprentice.

2. Canada Job Grant (CJG) Program

The Canada Job Grant (CJG) is a Canadian government funding program designed to reduce the costs of providing third-party skills training to new and existing employees. Launched in 2014, the CJG allocates $194 million annually to support the upskilling of employees so that they can perform new tasks.

Funding Amount: Your business could receive 50 to 100 per cent in grant funding to support the upskilling of new and existing employees so that they can perform new skills and become more valuable to your organization.

Eligibility: The criteria depends on which province your business is located. Each individual stream has varying funding amounts and eligibility criteria.

Details: Each province, excluding Quebec, offers CJG funding. Example projects focus on advancing skills in areas such as communication, leadership, project management, technology, software, marketing, sales, safety, and planning.

When it comes to accessing government grants, training new and existing employees should be the easiest place to start. And there are a few things you can do to assess your company’s eligibility and prepare for the application process.

• Forecast the effects of job creation, retention, and promotions.
• Set a timeline for start, end, and duration of training.
• Determine your training program and get a quote.

3. Yves Landry Foundation Funding for Training Via the Government of Canada Program

The Yves Landry Foundation Funding for Training Via the Government of Canada supports manufacturers in the implementation of green initiatives as they upskill employees and retrain their workforces to adopt and adapt green manufacturing principles on the shop floor.

Funding Amount: Your business could receive 25 to 50 per cent of eligible training expenses to a maximum of $100,000.

Eligibility: Applicants must have between 10 and 1,000 employees at a manufacturing facility or facilities in southern Ontario, have been continuously in business for at least three years, demonstrate financial stability, demonstrate adoption/adaption of greening technologies in products or manufacturing processes, and, most important, it cannot have received funding through Yves Landry in the past 24 months.

Details: This funding may be used to complete your in-house training plans.

Other Funding Opportunities

If your manufacturing business is undertaking other projects such as R&D, business expansion, clean technology adoption, or other strategic activities, there are hundreds of grants, loans, and tax credit programs that you should be aware of. It is important to stay current on government funding news to learn about programs that become available, as many programs have short application timelines of a month or less.

Navigating the Process

Accessing Canadian government funding can be complicated and often requires considerable time and resources, especially for those just starting out. While some companies choose to apply for funding on their own, others opt for support services to help.

Many crucial factors affect funding access, such as eligibility criteria and program timelines. It’s also important to note that once accepted, the government does not dictate the direction of any given project, which is why the approval process is so heavily reviewed.

Alena Barreca is a marketing specialist at Mentor Works, a Ryan Company, 28 Bett Court, Unit B, Guelph, Ont. N1C 0A5, 888-599-3111, www.mentorworks.ca.