British Columbia companies, associations and non-profit organizations with fewer than 50 employees received some good news this year: government funding of up to $5,000 (maximum of $1,500 on any one employee) to help them access training. The Workplace Training for Innovation Pilot (WTIP) program offers unparallelled flexibility to employers, allowing them to pick the training and service provider that best meets their needs. But the program only runs until January – or until funds are exhausted.
Designed to assist business and not-for-profit organizations that may not have the financial resources for training without provincial government assistance, the program helps improve productivity, support the introduction of new technology, machinery, equipment or work processes, enhance international competitiveness or introduce innovative training and workplace strategies to increase the long-term competitiveness of the organization and its workforce.
“The application process was easy, and we received a $5,000 cheque almost immediately,” said Donna Denham, president of Support Services Unlimited. For Denham, the WTIP funding allowed the entire office team the opportunity to participate in a series of training workshops it couldn’t otherwise afford.
“Without the WTIP funding, our small organization would have considered this training a luxury beyond our means,” she said. “After experiencing significant improvement in team morale, productivity and accountability, we have prioritized an ongoing investment in additional ‘lunch and learn’ workshops, which would not have been possible without the initial WTIP stimulus. Our team was absolutely delighted and motivated by the entire experience, resulting in increased value to our company and clients.”
Since the program was introduced in November 2009, more than 10,000 employees have been approved to participate in training and almost 2,300 employers have been approved for funding.
An employer may have a number of employees attend the same or different training and may also send one employee to a number of trainings, to a maximum of $1,500 per employee. Training activities may take up to six months and can be provided in-house or off-site.
In addition, training purchase costs, books and training materials are allowable expenses under the grant. Given that all employers will pay is the relevant tax, this pilot program represents an exciting and unique opportunity to up-skill your workforce and increase the long-term competitiveness of your organization.
To be eligible for funding, employers must be in good standing with the BC Corporate Registry, in existence for one year or more and must certify that they would not undertake the training without financial assistance from the province. They must fill out a short application form and send it to the funding program administrator. The current turnaround time is approximately two weeks from the time the application is received. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis and will be accepted until January 31, 2011.
Funding is available on a one-time-only basis. It is your responsibility, as the employer, to research the training options available to you and select the training option that you consider to represent value for money and that is most suitable for your organization’s needs. Training is an employer choice. The Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development has not pre-approved or endorsed any courses, programs or training providers with respect to the program. There are hundreds of training providers across the province for employers to choose from, including colleges or private training institutions.
For more information on the WTIP, visit www.aved.gov.bc.ca/workplace_training_program or call 877-365-5757.