The Training Wheels Are Off: A Closer Look at the Canada Job Grant

In its March 2013 Budget, the federal government proposed a new skills training program called the Canada Job Grant.  The program would provide up to $15,000 per trainee for employer-sponsored training, of which the federal government would pay one third – if each of the sponsoring employer and the province or territory contribute matching funds.  This report assesses the Canada Job Grant proposal and finds it to be deeply flawed.  The proposal imposes an additional cost of up to $600 million plus administrative expenses on the provinces and territories while intervening with a unilateral federal initiative in a field recognized as within provincial jurisdiction.  But aside from cost and jurisdictional issues, the Canada Job Grant is likely to deliver inferior results at higher costs, while remaining out of reach to many of the unemployed and underemployed Canadians it is intended to serve.

ISBN – 1-55382-582-9