Carney’s Budget to Double Funding for Union Training Program, Introduce Tax Credit for Support Workers
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/carney-budget-to-double-funding-for-union-training-program-introduce-tax-credit-for-support-workers-5935725?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=carney%E2%80%99s-budget-to-double-funding-for-union-training-program,-introduce-tax-credit-for-support-workers-0
The Liberal government says its upcoming Nov. 4 budget will double funding for a union training program and create a tax credit for personal support workers worth up to $1,100 per year.
The budget will boost union-based apprenticeship training in Red Seal trades by expanding the Union Training and Innovation Program, the Department of Finance said in an Oct. 27 news release. This includes doubling the program’s funding to $75 million over three years, and doubling the number of apprentices trained each year from 6,000 to 12,500.
“We are building major infrastructure projects and millions of new homes, and that means that we'll need more skilled workers to get the jobs done. Unions do a phenomenal job of training people,” Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said at an Oct. 27 press conference in Ottawa announcing four new measures, which she called “generational investments,” included in the upcoming federal budget.
The upcoming budget will also introduce a temporary refundable tax credit for personal support workers (PSWs) equal to 5 percent of eligible earnings up to $1,100 per year. The credit will be available in provinces and territories not already covered by a bilateral agreement with the federal government to increase wages for PSWs, the department said.
Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli, who also announced the four measures at a separate press conference in Etobicoke, Ont., on Oct. 27, noted that PSWs remain “among the lowest paid workers in health care.” He also noted the first two measures fulfill campaign promises made by the Liberal Party earlier this year.
Additionally, the budget will amend the Canada Labour Code to restrict the use of non-compete agreements in employment contracts for federally regulated sectors. The measure will allow workers to move more freely to higher-paying careers or start their own business, the finance department said. Continue…