Regina – Saskatchewan’s 2015-16 budget tabled on March 18 will fund a variety of programs to boost workforce training.
“Saskatchewan continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, and there is strong demand for skilled workers in our province,” said Minister responsible for Immigration, Jobs, Skills and Training Jeremy Harrison in budget news release on March 18.
“We are focused on addressing labour demand by investing in skills training programs that address obstacles to employment and efforts to support recruitment from outside the province.”
Some of the budget enhancements to labour market programs include:
- $600,000 increase to Adult Basic Education for a record investment of $25 million, an increase of 62 per cent since 2007-08. The investment will add 200 seats for an estimated total program capacity of 8,780 seats – up 2,900 seats from 2007-08;
- $1 million increase to the Provincial Training Allowance fund, for a record total of $32 million;
- $500,000 will be allocated to support 100 new training seats at the Trades and Technology Centre at Parkland College in Yorkton. The centre opens this fall;
- Funding for the Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant is increasing by $2 million in 2015-16 – for a total fund of $4 million;
- $200,000 will be added to the Employment Assistance Program for persons with disabilities, bringing spending on programs and services helping people with disabilities find a job to more than $10 million;
- $1 million increase for the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission creating 300 additional training seats.
This brings the total number of seats to 7,000, up 3,203 seats from 2007-08 (84 per cent); and there is also an increase of $500,000 to the Apprenticeship Training Allowance.
Underutilization of the Skills Training Benefit (STB) program enables $2.5 million in funding to be reallocated for the Canada Saskatchewan Job Grant and the apprenticeship program.
In addition, the province will nominate a record 5,500 immigrants under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program in 2015, including 775 nominees through a new provincial sub-category linked with the federal Express Entry system.
The new Saskatchewan Express Entry sub category was announced in January 2015 and will help attract skilled labour to the province.
