Employment Insurance for apprentices
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Regular benefits and apprenticeship training
If your province or territory has referred you to full-time technical training (sometimes called block-release training) as part of your apprenticeship, you may be able to receive Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits while attending your course.
Get your reference code before you apply
As an apprentice, you must provide proof of referral to receive EI benefits. Your province, territory, or training institution will issue you a 16-digit reference code as proof of referral once you’re approved to attend full-time technical training.
- Provide the reference code when you apply as this helps avoid unnecessary delays in processing your application
- If you don’t know or have not received your reference code, contact your province, territory or training institution
- If you apply for benefits without providing your reference code, or if you’re already receiving EI benefits and are about to start your full-time technical training, contact Service Canada to provide the code as soon as possible
Note:
You must obtain a referral from your province or territory for each block of full-time technical training in your apprenticeship. A new reference code will be provided for each training block.
Apply online
You can apply online up to seven days before your last day of work. After you apply, you can sign in to My Service Canada Account (MSCA) at any time to review the status of your application and check online for your electronic records of employment.
Additional information for apprentices
- You only need to serve the 1-week waiting period once for the same apprenticeship program
- If you request to be exempt from submitting biweekly EI reports while receiving benefits, but then you work or earn money, you must contact Service Canada to report the work and earnings
- If you’re on leave from work to attend full-time technical training, your EI benefits will end on the last day of your course
- If you lose your job through no fault of your own before the end date of your claim, you may be able to continue receiving regular benefits while you look for work
- You may also be able to receive other types of EI benefits such as sickness, maternity, parental or caregiving benefits
- Other financial support may be available from the Government of Canada, including the Canada Apprenticeship Loan and tax deductions and credits for apprentices and tradespersons
- Financial assistance from your province or territory may be available to help cover costs for accommodations, childcare, and transportation
Related resources
For information on programs that support apprentices in completing their training and assist employers in hiring and training apprentices, visit Skilled trades and apprenticeship training.