A new federal government program launched today by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver will support Canada’s growing need for skilled trades workers by providing resources that will help registered apprentices complete their technical training.
The Canada Apprentice Loan, first announced in the February 2014 federal budget, will provide up to $4,000 per period of technical training for apprentices registered in a Red Seal Trade apprenticeship program. Eligible participants may receive loans for up to five technical training periods, and loans will remain interest-free for up to six years as long as recipients remain registered in their programs.
“This is a very welcome initiative that will provide opportunities for individuals here in our community and across Canada to access the training that will lead to career success,” said John Tibbits, President of Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. “By providing increased access to skilled trades training, the Canada Apprentice Loan program will also help address the growing need for a skilled workforce that can keep our businesses competitive in the global marketplace.”
The new program is the latest addition to the suite of supports the Government of Canada provides to trades trainees and apprentices through Employment & Social Development Canada (ESDC). Applications are now open, and can be accessed online through the Canada Apprentice Loan Service Centre at www.pca-cal.ca
Conestoga is Ontario’s fastest growing college and a leader in polytechnic education, providing a full range of career-focused education, training and applied research programs to prepare students for success in the new knowledge economy and promote economic prosperity throughout our region and across Ontario.
Conestoga is the province’s largest college-based provider of apprenticeship training, delivering a wide range of apprenticeship programs in the industrial, construction, motive power and service sectors.
For more information, visit www.conestogac.on.ca/trades/