NACC Urges Implementation of Canada Job Grant
National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) CEO Serge Buy is calling for the implementation of the Canada Jobs Grant, the federal government’s proposed national job training program.
“We strongly support the Canada Job Grant, as it will fill a void and enable employers to finally have a role in the training of their future employees,” said Buy. “We believe that it will be an important tool to bring employers, workers, educators and governments together to address labour market imbalances, fill skilled positions and grow our economy.”
Buy’s comments came as provincial and federal ministers for employment and training met in Toronto on Friday to discuss, among other matters, how the program will be paid for.
The Canada Jobs Grant aims to involve employers in deciding what type of training is needed and offered in order to fill labour shortages across the country. Ottawa would contribute up to $5,000 per trainee, while provinces and individual employers would contribute up to the same amount, for a maximum training grant of $15,000.
“NACC is pleased to see that governments are coming together to have this conversation,” said Buy. “Given the economic instability of recent years and the upcoming demographic shift as the baby boomers retire, we need this kind of decisive action from government to keep Canadians working.”
“The status quo can’t be maintained. I think that’s very clear,” Buy added. “What I have seen is employers coming to us saying, ‘We have a desperate need to hire people. And we look at the number of unemployed people and we’re saying there’s a complete mismatch between the demand and the availability of skills, and we need to do something.”
The NACC believes that other programs should be employed to address the growing number of foreign-trained professionals who are unable to find meaningful employment in Canada. The NACC also calls for access to Canada Student Grants for students taking programs that are less than 60 weeks in length. The Canada Jobs Grant, however, is the organization’s main priority.
“We have a situation where there are people who want to work, and employers who want to hire, but those people lack the skills to do the jobs,” said Buy. “Employers and educators need to work more closely together to ensure post-secondary education truly prepares students for the job market. The Canada Job Grant is a way to promote these partnerships.”
The NACC is Canada’s oldest post-secondary association and represents over 500 career colleges across the country.
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