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NOW’S THE TIME FOR APPRENTICES TO SKILL UP If you put off your technical training when things were booming in B.C., there’s no better time than now to catch up. Check out class availability and get yourself registered for your next level of training.
Speak to your employer about taking the time away from work to attend school. You may find the timing suits your employer, too. Your employer will save on your wages while you’re in the classroom; you can supplement your earnings through EI; and you’ll be another step closer to becoming a journeyperson … your ticket to the future.
You may be in a position to do back to back levels of technical training. To find out more read this FAQ.
What’s in it for you? Earn while you learn.
Employment Insurance
Tax Credits
Incentive Grants & Bursaries
Your Ticket to the skilled life
For information on where instruction is available for your trade and when is it being offered, visit http://www.tradestrainingbc.ca/trainingplans.aspx or Training Availability
In British Columbia today, only four out of 10 apprentices actually complete their training to become journeypersons with the higher pay and career opportunities that go with their tickets. Now’s the time to ensure you’re among those who make it all the way by continuing with what you started.
Once this recession is over, skilled tradespeople will continue to be in high demand, and your employment opportunities will be strong. B.C. and Canada are still facing critical skilled labour shortages in the next few years as the Baby Boom generation begins to retire in large numbers. You’ll be doing yourself and your workplace a favour by using today’s recession as a chance to skill up for the opportunities ahead.
Registered apprentices may be eligible for temporary financial support under Part I and Part II of the Employment Insurance (EI) Act while attending ITA-approved classroom components of their Apprenticeship Program. The link below provides information on how to apply for Employment Insurance Benefits and Personal Supports. It is important that you follow the Apprentice Instructions and complete the EI Benefit application on line and the application for Personal Supports with all required supporting documentation. Failure to do so could result in delays or denial of Employment Insurance and Personal Support benefits.
NEW Enhancements to the Apprentices Program
EI Enhancements QA.pdf
A number of enhancements have been made to the Apprentices Program to better support apprentices as they complete their programs and become more employable:
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Expanded eligibility to include apprentices who had established an EI claim within the past 36 months. Part II supports extended to all apprentices who meet the definition of an insured participant (EI client) |
| Tuition costs paid by the student are considered a fully reimbursable cost * |
| All apprentices receive the maximum EI Rate for Basic Living Expenses |
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Day care = $35/day/child
Commuting allowance = $.25/kilometer
Living away from home = $175/week |
| Apprentices must submit their application for Part II supports within four weeks of their course date |
*Tuition enhancements are a short term measure only, intended to respond economic to the downturn by providing greater support to clients. Continued apprentice tuition support will be re‐assessed as the economy recovers.
For more information: contact Enquiry BC at 1-800-663-7867
www.labourmarketservices.gov.bc.ca/apprenticeships.html
- A Basic Provincial Tax Credit of $1,000 a year is available when you complete level 1 or 2 of a British Columbia recognized (non-Red Seal) program on or after January 1, 2007.
- A Provincial Completion Tax Credit of up to $2,500 is available when you complete level 3 or higher of either a Red Seal or non-Red Seal program on or after January 1, 2007.
- Enhanced B.C. tax credits are also available for First Nations individuals and persons with disabilities.
- As an employed tradesperson, you can take an annual deduction of up to $500 to be applied towards the purchase of eligible tools. For more information on this deduction, visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whtsnw/tls-eng.html .
For more detailed information on tax credits and how to apply for them, visit:
Tax Credits – Training Tax Credits .
Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG)
Effective January 1, 2007, apprentices completing their first or second level of a Red Seal apprenticeship program are eligible for a $1,000 Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG). Please note that only those apprentices demonstrating progression on or after January 1, 2007 will be considered eligible.
In most trades, your journeyperson ticket means that your chances of being employed are extremely high. You'll earn a higher salary than you would if you weren't certified, plus you'll have greater job security, job mobility, and opportunities to advance. You won't just have a job, you'll have a future.
A recent survey of individuals who began their apprenticeships in 2002, 2003 or 2004 proves this to be true. The National Apprenticeship Survey found that:
- 94 per cent of B.C. apprentices who completed their training are either employed or self-employed
- 73 per cent are earning above $40,000 a year; and
- those who did not complete their training earn approximately 20 per cent less than those who achieve certification.
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