Skilled Trades Employers’ Benefits

Recruiting and retaining a skilled trade apprentice or a journeyperson can be a significant investment for a company. Employers have recognized this fact and so have provincial and federal governments. To help meet the needs of skilled trades employers, the Ontario government and the Government of Canada offer programs and resources designed to provide financial incentives and skills training.  Several of these programs and incentives are described below and links to web sites with complete details are given.

Financial Incentives
Recruiting New Employees
Skills Development

(a)  Financial Incentives

(i) Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit: In 2009 the Ontario government approved changes to the new Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit that will provide eligible employers with a refundable tax credit on wages and salaries up to $40,000 for the first 48 months of apprenticeship training. There are 123 trades eligible for this tax credit. For more information click here  http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/bulletins/ct/pdf/4015.pdf


(ii) Apprenticeship Signing Bonus:  Employers who hire and register youth, under 25 years of age, who have left school and require upgrading to meet the registration standards for apprenticeship training can receive a $2,000 bonus for training these young people.  Click here for more details. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/employers/emp_bonus_EN.html

(iii) Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC):   The Federal government has legislated a non-refundable tax credit equal to 10% of the eligible salaries and wages payable to eligible apprentices in their first two years of their apprenticeship contract.  Maximum credit is $2,000 per year for each eligible apprentice in a Red Seal Trade. For more information visit: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whatsnew/apprenticeship-e.html

(iv) Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy: This service is designed to provide on-the-job work experience to unemployed people who are or have recently been eligible to receive Employment Insurance and are experiencing difficulty in finding work and to enable employers to hire people who face barriers to employment by offering temporary wage subsidies. For services in Durham Region call:

     Northern Lights Canada
     The Employment Advantage Ajax (905) 426-8337
     The Employment Advantage Oshawa (905) 436-2957
     Work Links for Women Oshawa (905) 433-9539

     vpi Inc.
     Career Strategies for Youth Whitby (905) 571-3811

     META Vocational Services Inc. (905) 725-0087

     Canadian Hearing Society
     Oshawa Employment Services (905) 404-8490 

(v)  Ontario Cooperative Education Tax Credit: Private sector employers can receive tax credits for up to 15% of an employee’s salary for hiring university, college or vocational school students enrolled in cooperative education and technology programs. Salaries and wages paid before May 19, 2004 qualify for the CETC, and amounts paid or payable for services performed after May 19, 2004 qualify for the ATTC.  For more information visit: http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/bulletins/ct/pdf/3021.pdf

For more information on tax credit programs call Employment Ontario at 
1-800-387-5656 or (416) 326-5656
visit: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/employers/services.html

(top)

(b)  Recruiting New Employees

(i)   Candidate Manager System:  This computerized skills-match database will streamline your recruitment process.  It's easy! Just register with the Candidate Manager System  http://jobs.tradeability.ca/ and tell us what you are looking for.  We will pre-screen the candidates' resume and qualifications required for your job posting.  From there we will forward the qualified candidates' resumes to you for consideration. This service is available for all Durham Region and surrounding area employers and is free of charge.

(ii) Job Connect: This program provides apprenticeship recruitment and applicant screening services and up to 12 months of wage subsidy. Job Connect works with employers to match their needs with a job seeker’s knowledge and skills. Job Connect Resource Centres in Durham Region are:

Horticulture employer interviewing career seeker at Horticulture Job Fair organized by JHS Employment Services of Durham.

YMCA Durham Employment and Community
Pickering (905) 427-7670

JHS of Durham Region
Ajax (905) 427-8165
Whitby (905) 666-8847

Durham College
Beaverton (705) 426-1587
Bowmanville (905) 721-3025
Oshawa (905) 721-3093
Port Hope (905) 885-4842
Port Perry (905) 985-1441
Uxbridge (905) 852-7848

Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre
Oshawa (905) 579-1821
Pickering (905) 420-4010

(iii) Credential Assessment Services: Internationally trained tradespeople can offer a solution if you’re an employer looking for experienced people. An accurate assessment of a candidate’s credentials will allow you to understand the Canadian equivalency and authenticity of his or her qualifications. There are a number of organizations that perform evaluations including:

World Education Services
45 Charles Street East, Suite 700
Toronto ON M4Y 1S2
call: (416) 972-0070 or toll-free 1-866-343-0070
visit: www.wes.org/ca/
World Education Services is recognized and funded, in part, by the Government of Ontario.

International Credentials Assessment Service (ICAS) of Canada
Ontario AgriCentre
100 Stone Road West, Suite 303
Guelph ON N1G 5L3
Toll Free in Canada: 1-800-321-6021
visit: www.icascanada.ca

(top)

(c)  Skills Development

(i)   Literacy and Basic Skills Program: The Ontario government's Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) Program provides free literacy, numeracy and essential skills services that help individuals achieve their goals related to further education or training, employment or increased independence. The LBS services are provided at no cost to learners and focus on people whose reading, writing, numeracy and essential skills are below the Grade 9 level of the Ontario Curriculum.  Services are offered through local school boards, community-based agencies and Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Local programs can be accessed by calling the Literacy Network of Durham Region at 1-800-263-0993 or emailing lindr@bellnet.ca .

For more information call Employment Ontario at 1-800-387-5656 or (416) 326-5656 or visit: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/training/literacy/main.html

(ii) TOWES (Test of Workplace Essential Skills): There are many applications for TOWES including providing an entry-level assessment of skills. For more information about TOWES visit: www.towes.ca or call Durham College at (905) 721-3092.

(iii)  Bridge Training for Skilled Immigrants: The Bridge Training program supports the development and implementation of sustainable projects that expedite licensing and accreditation of qualified immigrants for employment in strategic skills areas. Projects are being developed, and some are already underway, in the construction and precision machining and tooling trades sectors.

For more information call Employment Ontario at 1-800-387-5656 or (416) 326-5656 visit: http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/working/experience/index.shtml#Other 

(top)

Updated April 2010