Quebec:

• The provincial government announced $1.9 million in funding to establish training programs aimed at unemployed people, particularly those in sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The programs will mainly target the acquisition of skills in information technology, administration, management and production in the manufacturing sector. Teaching will be offered in a virtual classroom, in a hybrid format or in person when the situation permits.
• Read the official release to learn more.

 

• The provincial government will invest $65 million in two new venture capital funds to help support innovative companies at the seed and start-up stages in sectors of the future, and support economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• $50 will go towards financing young innovative companies, and $15 million will be used to make investments at the seed stage.
• Read the official release to learn more.

 

• The provincial government is providing $50 million in financial support for the Emerging Managers Program of Quebec (PGEQ).
• The PGEQ aims to promote financial entrepreneurship in Quebec by granting mandates to local emerging managers and to create a mentoring framework for these new managers. It was launched to stimulate financial entrepreneurship in Quebec and ensure the influence of the financial sector on the local, national and international stages.
• Since the launch of the PGEQ, ten fund managers have been supported through the program, two of whom have graduated.
• Read the official release to learn more.

 

• Quebecers who received assistance benefits related to COVID-19 will not have to pay interest on their 2020 tax balance for a period of one year.
• To be eligible for this measure, taxpayers must have earned a total taxable income of $ 75,000 or less in 2020.
• Read the official release to learn more.

 

• The Palais des congrès de Montréal announced the launch of a new training program to help event planners reinvent themselves. 
• This support will support participants in the pivot of their business model, which will be necessary to deal with recent upheavals in the industry.
• The application period for the first cohort of ten participants will run until March 19, 2021.
• The training will be offered virtually, in French. Participants will be chosen by a selection committee from the Palais des congrès.
• Click here to apply.

Ontario:

• The provincial government launched four new Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) programs to help increase economic development and promote job creation in the North. 
• The new programs will target existing and emerging markets, support more projects in small rural communities, address the skilled labour shortage and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply.
• Read the official release to learn more about the four new programs.

 

• The provincial government is extending electricity rate relief measures.
• The government will continue to hold electricity prices to the off-peak rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour until February 22, 2021. This lower rate is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week for Time-Of-Use and tiered customers.
• Families, small businesses and charitable organizations with overdue electricity and natural gas bills can apply for support through the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program.

Manitoba:

• The provincial government is investing $1.9 million in a partnership with not-for-profit corporation Opportunities for Employment (OFE) to deliver three programs that will connect Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) participants with training and employment services.
• The investment will support OFE to connect single parents receiving EIA and others facing barriers to employment with additional tailored supports.
• In addition, the successful Community Home Services Program will be expanded to include a new part-time option to gain valuable work experience for single parents with school-aged children.
• The programs are expected to support almost 200 current EIA recipients.
• Read the official release to learn more.

 

• The provincial government launched the new Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy, a shared vision among post-secondary partners, industry and government of the direction and actions needed to accelerate recovery, advance Manitoba’s economy, and promote positive outcomes for individuals and businesses.
• The strategy includes four key areas of focus: anticipating skills needed for the future;  aligning education and training to labour market needs and helping students succeed; fostering entrepreneurial and innovative skills; and growing, attracting and retaining talent.
• Learn more about the Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy.

Saskatchewan:

• The provincial government is introducing the First Nations Stewardship Fund and the Indigenous Business Credit Pool, two initiatives to support First Nations and Métis participation in the Accelerated Site Closure Program (ASCP).
• The First Nations Stewardship Fund will allocate $15 million in program funding to conduct abandonment and reclamation activities on First Nation Reserve lands across Saskatchewan.
• The Indigenous Business Credit Pool will create an incentive for eligible licensees to work with First Nations and Métis contractors to complete program work.
• The ASCP was announced in May 2020 as part of the federal COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.
• Read the official release to learn more.

Alberta:

• Workers who continue to provide critical services to Albertans during the COVID-19 pandemic will receive a one-time payment of $1,200.
• The Critical Worker Benefit will be available to workers in the health-care, social services, education and private sectors who deliver critical services to Albertans or support food and medical supply chains.
• To be eligible, employees must have worked a minimum of 300 hours during the period between October 12, 2020 and January 31, 2021.
• Eligible private sector workers making $25 per hour or less will also qualify.
• Click here for detailed eligibility and application information. 
• The federal and provincial governments are providing more than $11.6 million to complete retrofits, repairs and upgrades that will improve the energy efficiency and lifespan of six provincial buildings in Calgary, Edmonton and Wetaskiwin.
• These projects will support 65 construction jobs.
• The funding is approved through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

British Columbia:

• A $4 million investment ($2 million from the province and $2 million through the Canada-BC Workforce Development Agreement) has enabled 15 public post-secondary institutions to provide short-duration micro credentials. 
• These programs will assist more than 2,000 British Columbians who need to reskill or upskill, so they can take advantage of opportunities in high-demand sectors. These will be especially helpful for those individuals whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19.
• Over time, micro credentials could become “stackable.” This means learners may have the opportunity to combine individual micro credentials to earn full credentials, such as certificates and diplomas.
• Learn more about fast-track skills training in British Columbia.

 

• Through a new Community and Employer Partnership (CEP) project from the provincial government, up to 36 eligible British Columbians will get skills training and certification courses to prepare them for jobs as automotive service technicians, millwrights and welders.
• The province is providing more than $600,000 to Ace Trades and Technical Institute in Surrey to deliver skills and certification courses in three separate streams of its Industrial Trades Training for Red Seal Certification project.
• Full-time, classroom learning for the first intake of this project, automotive technician training, starts on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Project activities run through to May 21, 2021.
• Read the official release to learn more.