Canada-Manitoba Job Grants Help 3,600 Workers

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WINNIPEG, MB – Nearly 3,600 workers at 163 Manitoba companies are receiving valuable skills training through the latest round of Canada-Manitoba Job Grants. So far this fiscal year, Manitoba workers have benefited from approximately $8 million, a combination of the $4.7-million investment from the governments of Canada and Manitoba and $3.2 million in private-sector contributions.

“A skilled and adaptable workforce is essential for Manitoba to compete in today’s rapidly changing technological environment,” said Minister Ian Wishart, during an announcement at Tactica Communications in St. Boniface. “We see immense value in investing in employees and creating opportunities for them to learn new skills and for their employers to grow. We’re pleased to see that small and medium-sized companies and their employees are finding the greatest benefit in this program.”

The Canada-Manitoba Job Grant is an employer-driven training support program that enables Manitoba companies to train new and existing employees to fill available jobs, expand their workforce and become more competitive.

“Our governments are working together to help workers in Manitoba get the necessary training to develop new skills and meet local industry needs in a changing economy,” said Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Minister Patty Hajdu. “This is only one example of the investments we are making to grow our economy, strengthen our middle class, and help those working hard to join it. When everyone thrives, so does our economy.”

The grant has encouraged private-sector investment in workforce development, the ministers noted. It provides eligible employers up to two-thirds of the cost for a maximum of $10,000 per trainee to assist with training or skills upgrading costs, and in turn, employers must pay a minimum one-third of eligible training costs and provide appropriate jobs for trainees once training is complete. For unemployed individuals, the grant can provide up to $15,000 for training costs, such as tuition and training materials.

“The Canada-Manitoba Job Grant has helped us train and scale our team of globally competitive app developers and designers,” said Kevin Glasier, founder and CEO of Tactica Interactive, a company that is receiving $44,595 for a variety of training courses. “We thank the governments of Canada and Manitoba for helping our business thrive in this constantly evolving space.”

The governments expect to award approximately $1 million in additional grants by the end of March.

Since its creation in 2014, the Canada-Manitoba Job Grants program has awarded 503 grants to train 10,220 employees primarily at small and medium-sized companies in Manitoba.

Government of Manitoba

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