Top Hiring and Training Government Funding Programs

This blog was provided by Mentor Works, a Ryan Company.

An organization’s strength lies in its team. It is highly important that small businesses in Canada are aware that there are government grants available that can be used to offset the costs of onboarding new employees and/or providing training to both existing and new employees. In addition to increasing and enhancing an organization’s talent pool, these grants may also connect applicants with meaningful employment opportunities. 

The purpose of this blog is to provide you with information on hiring and training grants that are currently available across Canada to assist Small-Medium-Enterprise (SME) sized businesses in obtaining and supporting employees. 

Listed below are government funding programs to assist organizations in hiring or retraining staff, improving their effectiveness and upskilling their staff in new areas such as advanced technologies. Depending on when you read this article, some of the funding programs listed below may or may not be open at the time. Find out what programs are currently available for intake by visiting our Hiring & Training Page.  

Canadian Small Business Grants for Hiring and Training 

1. Yves Landry Foundation Funding for Training Via the Government of Canada 

The Yves Landry Foundation Funding for Training Via the Government of Canada assists organizations in adapting to new technologies, processes, or procedures, as well as any changes within the company. By supporting innovation and retooling, new lines of production can be developed for increased productivity. Through this program, training must directly contribute to improving domestic supply chains or enhancing competitiveness, such as expanding domestic markets. 

• Funding Amount: Successful applicants may access up to 25–50% of costs to a maximum of $100,000 per application. 
• Applicant Eligibility: Ontario manufacturers with 10–1000 employees may be eligible. Read more about eligibility in our recent blog post. 

2. Mitacs Accelerate Program 

The Mitacs Accelerate program pairs small businesses with talented candidates who have earned a Master’s, PhD or postdoctoral fellowship (PDF) in order to overcome innovation challenges. To support the challenges facing small businesses, interns must conduct research and develop tools, models, technologies or solutions. 

• Funding Amount: Up to $15,000 is provided for every four- to six-month internship, with a contribution of $7,500 from the partnering organization. If the business leverages 6+ internship periods from 3+ interns, additional funding support is available through the cluster stream. Funding includes intern stipend and research costs. 
• Applicant Eligibility: The program is open to Canadian corporations, for-profit businesses, and selected non-profit organizations. There is support for all industries and sectors, however innovation research and development projects are given priority. 

3. IRAP Youth Employment Program (YEP) 

The IRAP Youth Employment Program (YEP) program is designed to assist employers in hiring and training young Canadian post-secondary graduates. A graduate may be selected for funding in a variety of areas, such as business development, technical advancement, customer service or administration. For assistance in getting started, businesses are encouraged to contact the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council (NRC). 

• Funding Amount: Up to $30,000 per graduate (up to two graduates) for a period of 6-12 months. 
• Applicant Eligibility: The applicant must be an incorporated, financially stable, Canadian business with 1–500 employees. It is the applicant’s responsibility to recruit graduates before applying. A candidate must be between the ages of 15 and 30. 

4. Canada Job Grant (CJG) 

The Canada Job Grant (CJG) program reduces the cost of third-party skills training for new and existing employees through government funding. Launched in 2014, the Canada Job Grant provides upwards of $194M each year to help new and existing employees learn new skills and become more valuable to their employers. Each province and territory except Québec has a separate Canada Job Grant (CJG) stream, with varying funding amounts, eligibility criteria, and deadlines. Some streams are open all year, like the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG), while others are open only periodically.  

• Funding Amount: Grants are provided to eligible businesses for employee training projects up to 50-100%, depending on the province. 
• Applicant Eligibility: The eligibility criteria for applicants vary by province; there are streams for Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Details about streams can be found on the main page.  

Learn More About Government Funding Opportunities 

Listed in this blog are Canadian government funding programs for hiring and training small and medium-sized businesses. Our free Canadian Startup Business Resources are available if your business does not meet the requirements of any particular program. 

If your business is looking to get started on accessing grants for hiring and training, contact the Mentor Works, a Ryan Company team to learn which grant program may be suitable for your business and subscribe to our Weekly Funding Newsletter to keep up with the latest government funding news.  

For more information on the programs listed in this blog, please register for our upcoming webinars, where our team discusses high level details regarding government funding opportunities.