Monday, November 21, 2022

Supporting and Growing Apprenticeships

Canadian employers can get up to $10,000 for hiring a new first-year apprentice!

By Karyna Chudesnykova, CASP Apprenticeship Coordinator

The CLAC Apprenticeship Support Program (CASP) is a federally funded, employer-facing program that incentivizes small- to medium-sized companies to take on first-year apprentices in construction or manufacturing trades. It is administered by CLAC and has already distributed over $600,000 to qualified companies!

To qualify, employers must be

• registered for CASP (sign the agreement) before hiring and/or registering an apprentice;

• small-to-medium sized, meaning have fewer than 499 employees;

• registered in 39 Red Seal trades.

CASP is a separate program from CLAC, focused on supporting apprenticeship development across the country, regardless of union affiliation. The CASP Team offers

• supports on recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining apprentices to participating employers;

• a comprehensive leadership development program to participating employers at no charge, which covers leadership foundations, communication, mentoring and coaching techniques, and supporting diverse and inclusive workplaces;

• a high level of quality customer service.

CLAC-signatory employers will have other resources available to help support their apprentices (depending on the province), including access to the CLAC Jobs program if looking for recruitment resources.

CASP provides employers

• $5,000 for any first-year apprentice registered with CASP;

• an additional $5,000 if that apprentice voluntarily self-identifies as one of the six equity deserving groups (women, Indigenous people, newcomers to Canada in the last 10 years, people with a disability, visible minorities, or LGBTQ2+ individuals.

Employers can register up to four apprentices until March 31, 2024 (two per fiscal year). Any employer in Manitoba that hires any of the apprenticeship trades can sign up for this.

There are no restrictions on the use of the financial incentive. Please allow four to six weeks for the CASP Team to process reimbursement.

Note to members: If you can successfully refer two employers, you will receive a free YETI mug from CLAC!

Karyna Chudesnykova

Supporting and Growing Apprenticeships

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