Vancouver, British Columbia – Employment and Social Development Canada

The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development, today congratulated the first recipients of the Canada Apprentice Loan at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Launched in January of this year, the Loan provides registered apprentices pursuing technical training in Red Seal trades with access to up to $4,000 per period of technical training. As of early March, over 3,000 apprentices from across Canada have benefitted from this loan, including over 600 in British Columbia.

In his speech, Minister Poilievre encouraged more Canadians to take advantage of the Canada Apprentice Loan—to learn a trade, gain hands-on experience and seize the opportunities that exist in today’s labour market and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.

The Minister also outlined the Government’s agenda to help more Canadians get the skills they need for in demand jobs, and access to better labour market information. This will help Canadians to make more informed career decisions and to align their skills with available jobs.

He went on to discuss the Government’s plan to ensure Canadians keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. This plan includes enhancements to the Universal Child Care Benefit, the new Family Tax Cut and improvements to the Child Care Expenses Deduction and the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit. These measures allow parents to invest more in their children’s future.

Quick Facts

• According to Statistics Canada, almost 360,000 people are enrolled in over 400 apprenticeship and skilled trades programs. However, only half of apprentices are completing their programs.
• Economic Action Plan 2014 created the Canada Apprentice Loan to provide apprentices registered in a Red Seal trade apprenticeship with access to interest-free loans of up to $4,000 per period of technical training. The loans are interest-free until apprentices complete or leave their apprenticeship training program, up to a maximum of six years.
• The Canada Apprentice Loan will help more apprentices complete their training, and it is estimated that at least 26,000 apprentices are expected to benefit from over $100 million in loans each year.
• Since 2006, the Government has provided nearly $700 million through apprenticeship grants to over 530,000 Canadians across the country, including over 75,000 to apprentices in B.C.
• The Universal Child Care Benefit would increase to up to $1,920 per year for children under the age of 6, and parents may receive a benefit of up to $720 per year for each eligible child aged 6 through 17.

Quotes

“Prime Minister Harper launched the Canada Apprentice Loan in January of this year. Today we are congratulating the first Canada Apprentice Loan recipients in British Columbia. Over 600 apprentices in the province and 3,000 apprentices from across Canada are now benefitting from the support they need from the Government of Canada.”

– The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development

“With new initiatives and financial supports like the Canada Apprentice Loan, apprentices in Canada’s Red Seal trades can be sure that the Government of Canada regards them both as post-secondary learners and as vitally needed workers for the in-demand jobs across Canada’s economy.”