Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG): Is Your Business Eligible for Training Grants?

The Canada-Alberta Job Grant is a popular government funding incentive amongst Canadian employers. The program administers training grants to help Alberta-based companies enhance their workforce by upskilling new and existing employees. CAJG is a provincial variant of the Canada Job Grant program, which seeks to address specific training needs of employees to further their development and employability.

The program provides up to 66% coverage of eligible third-party training costs to a maximum $10,000 in grants per trainee. Employers may use the program to advance their labour force; these investments allow the business to improve productivity and expand company capabilities. To qualify for Alberta government funding, both employers and trainees must meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

If you’ve read the program overview and still have questions regarding your company’s eligibility, use this article to help determine whether you qualify for CAJG funding.

Is Your Business Eligible for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant Program?

The Canada-Alberta Job Grant administers government grants to help Alberta-based employers access and reduce the costs of quality third-party training programs. By investing in workforce training, employers can raise a team of qualified individuals, increase competitiveness, and foster company growth.

To qualify for CAJG training grants, employers must ensure that the business and its trainees meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

Eligible Employers

CAJG training grants are provided to Alberta-based:

• Individual private sector employers;
• Non-profit employers;
• First Nations and Métis Settlements; and
• Crown agencies in communities where the population is less than 100,000 residents.

Please Note: The Canada-Alberta Job Grant will not fund any government agencies and/or broader public sector organizations (such as post-secondary institutions or hospitals).

Eligible Trainees

To receive funding for training, eligible trainees must be a:

• New or existing employee participating in an Alberta-based training program;
• Resident of Alberta;
• Canadian citizen; and/or
• Permanent resident or protected person.

Ineligible Trainees

Trainees are not eligible for CAJG training grants if they are a(n):

• Temporary foreign worker;
• Self-employed individual;
• Member of the applicant’s family;
• Member of the applicant’s board of council; or
• Individual that will not be employed once training has been completed.

Which Training Programs are Supported by the Canada-Alberta Job Grant?

The Canada-Alberta Job Grant provides funding for a variety of training programs that help businesses address specific challenges and/or skill gaps within their organization. Employers must demonstrate that funding will be used to offset incremental training that would otherwise be inaccessible without the grant.

Not all training programs are covered under CAJG; the program does not support in-house or apprenticeship technical training programs.

Alberta small business grants may be used to offset third-party training programs. Some popular examples include:

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems;
• Quality Management Systems (QMS);
• Lean Manufacturing and Lean Six Sigma;
• Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Software;
• Customer Service; and
• Management and Strategic Leadership training.

Required Training Outcomes

By accessing CAJG training grants, employers must demonstrate how the training will:

• Impact an employee’s role;
• Impact an employee’s job title;
• Increase an employee’s salary;
• Provide the business with new abilities; and/or
• Support new job opportunities.

Which Project Expenses Are Eligible for CAJG Funding?

The Canada-Alberta Job Grant will provide up to 66% coverage of eligible third-party training costs to a maximum contribution of $10,000 per trainee.

Alberta-based employers can access up to maximum of $300,000 per year to invest in workforce development initiatives. CAJG provides funding to offset direct training costs, including:

• Third-party training costs;
• Tuition fees and/or instructional fees;
• Student and examinations fees; and
• Textbooks, software, or any other course materials required to complete training.

Ineligible Training Expenses

Alberta government funding cannot be used to offset:

• Employee wages;
• In-house training programs; and
• Technical training programs.

How to Apply for CAJG Training Grants

Eligible employers can apply for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant by submitting an application package including a company overview and detailed training plans/quotes.

Please Note: It takes approximately 2-4 weeks for an application package to be approved, however in certain cases it can take longer. Please wait until you receive formal funding approval prior to carrying out the training or incurring project costs.

Alberta small business grants can be used to offset up to 66% of eligible third-party training costs. Upon approval, employers are required submit reimbursement forms to receive their first instalment of up to 33% of eligible training costs. When the training program concludes, participants must submit a training completion form to release the remaining 33% reimbursement.

Businesses meeting CAJG’s eligibility criteria may contact Mentor Works to assist the application preparation process.