Backgrounder: Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy (Investments in Training Equipment)

Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy

The Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy (CAS) aims to support a trades workforce that is skilled, inclusive, certified and productive. The CAS funds projects that aim to:

• promote the skilled trades as a good career option;
• develop initiatives that help Canadians explore, prepare for, participate and succeed in apprenticeship;
• facilitate the participation of employers and unions in apprenticeship; and
• encourage innovative tools and approaches to better prepare pre-apprentices, apprentices and journeypersons for the jobs of tomorrow.

CAS Investments in Training Equipment

The CAS Investments in Training Equipment funding stream helps eligible organizations improve the quality of training through the purchase of equipment and materials that meet the latest industry standards or through investments in new technology needed to train workers in the Red Seal trades.

Eligible organizations include unions representing Red Seal trades workers, organizations managing their own training funds, and training providers that deliver technical training to apprentices as part of a recognized curriculum for a Red Seal trade.

This funding stream helps training providers improve the quality of training through investments in equipment and materials. It provides recipients with up to 50% of the cost of new, up-to-date equipment and materials, to train pre-apprentices and apprentices in the Red Seal trades. The 50% leveraging requirement reflects the benefit to the recipient of a capital purchase.

This year, the Government is implementing a continuous intake to receive and assess project applications. This will allow for faster application assessment and allocation of funding. There is no application end date to this call for proposals.

Organizations in Quebec are not eligible for the proposed Investments in Training Equipment continuous intake.  In Quebec apprenticeship training happens in the education system prior to registering with an employer as an apprentice. The Government of Canada supports the important goals of training apprentices through a separate funding agreement.