Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
March 22, 2017
Minister Byrne Announces Enhancements to Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program
The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, today announced enhancements to the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program, which assists apprentices in their pursuit of journeyperson certification by providing subsidies directly to their employers.
In response to changing labour market demands, and based on the recommendations received from a series of consultations throughout the province, the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program is being enhanced in the following ways:
- Increasing focus on subsidizing third and fourth year apprentices to assist those already working in the skilled trades in completing their journeyperson certification with a wage subsidy of 75 per cent for all apprentices, up to a maximum of $14 an hour;
- Implementing a more responsive approval process designed to meet the time constraints experienced by businesses when hiring; and
- Introducing an evaluation component that will allow apprentices and their employers to regularly assess each other’s program performance.
Details on wage subsidy levels can be found in the backgrounder below.
Enhancements to the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program only apply to contracts awarded after March 31, 2017. Existing contracts are not impacted.
These adjustments demonstrate the Provincial Government’s commitment to consult industry on key aspects of apprenticeship. As detailed in What We Heard: Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Consultations, implementing these recommendations will target the program to meet the current needs of apprentices, employers, and the labour market.
Quotes
“The Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program is popular with apprentices and employers. Our consultations with them identified these key enhancements we are now making to help Newfoundland and Labrador maintain a skilled workforce to support sustainability and growth.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
“These improvements will make the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program even more valuable to employers and apprentices in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are training the journeypersons of tomorrow, with an eye to future demand.”
David Harris
Chair, Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board
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Learn more
What We Heard: Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Consultations
Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program
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Media contact:
|
Ryan Crocker Advanced Education, Skills and Labour 709-729-1795, 725-9595 RyanCrocker@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
Increasing the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program’s focus on third and fourth year apprentices necessitated an adjustment to the wage subsidy level formula. The program now provides a wage subsidy of 75 per cent for all apprentices.
Previously, the wage subsidy levels were as follows:
| Apprenticeship Year | Wage Subsidy Level |
| First | 90 per cent |
| Second | 80 per cent |
| Third | 60 per cent |
| Fourth | 60 per cent |
The maximum wage level subsidy of $14 an hour, and the maximum of two agreements per apprentice, remain unchanged.
2017 03 22 11:25 a.m.