Employment Incentives

• Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC)

• Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit

• Canada Summer Jobs

• Career Focus Biotechnology Wage Subsidy Program

• Co-Operative Education Tax Credit

• Eligibility for Job Connect

• Employer Signing Bonus

• Environmental Youth Corp. (EYC) Internship Program

• Funding

• Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) – Internships Program

• Ontario Graduate Transitions Tax Credit

• Ontario Summer Jobs Service

• Ontario Works Division - Employment Placement Program

• St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology

• St. Clair College Community Employment Services

• Targeted Wage Subsidy

• Workplace Accessibility Tax Incentive

• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Employment Incentive Program

Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC)

Businesses with eligible apprentices may be able to claim the apprenticeship job creation tax credit. This is a non-refundable tax credit equal to 10% of the eligible salaries and wages payable to eligible apprenticeships for employment after May 1, 2006. The maximum credit is $2,000 per year to each eligible apprentice.

For more information, contact:
Canada Revenue Agency
Telephone: 1.800.959.5525
Website: www.cra.gc.ca

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Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit

This program is to promote and encourage the hiring of apprentices in certain skilled trades.

Businesses may qualify for a 25% refundable tax credit on wages and salaries paid after May 18, 2004 and before January 1, 2015. For businesses with total payroll costs not exceeding $400,000, the tax credit rate is increased to 30%.

Employers may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $5,000 per qualifying apprentice per taxation year to a maximum of $15,000 over the first 36 months of the apprenticeship.

Eligible to a business which hires and trains qualifying apprentices in certain skilled trades.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Revenue
Telephone: 1.866.668.8297/1.800.263.7776
Website: www.trd.fin.gov.on.ca

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Canada Summer Jobs

Canada Summer Jobs is an initiative of the Summer Work Experience program. It provides funding for public-sector employers, not-for-profit organizations and smaller private sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees to create high-quality summer job opportunities for students between the ages of 15 and 30.

Canada Summer Jobs is about:

• Providing work experience for students

• Supporting organizations, including those that provide important community services

• Recognizing that local circumstances, community needs and priorities vary widely

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Career Focus Biotechnology Wage Subsidy Program

The Career Focus Program helps provide young Canadians with valuable work experience in the biotechnology sector. The project is an initiative that provides cash incentives to industries for the creation of employment opportunities for youth.

Subsidies will cover approximately one third of salaries paid out to participants for a minimum 6-month period. ($10,600 maximum subsidy for a 12-month period)

For more information, contact:
Biotechnology Human Resource Council
Program Director
1100 - 85 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6A4
Telephone: 1.613.235.1402 ext 222
Website: www.bhrc.ca

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Co-Operative Education Tax Credit

This refundable tax credit is available for employers operating unincorporated businesses which hire students enrolled in a recognized Ontario university of college co-operative education program. For employers, this consists of a tax credit of 10% - 15% of eligible expenditures made for the work placement and $1,000 per four month work placement, with a minimum employment of 10 weeks, for students in cooperative education or leading edge technology programs.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Finance
33 King Street West, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8H5
Telephone: 1.905.433.6000
Website: www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/credit/cetc/index.html

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Eligibility for Job Connect

Job Connect provides assistance to youth who are between 16 and 24 years old, out of full-time school and out of full-time work. Some exceptions for over 24 years of age.

Employers may qualify for a wage subsidy based on client need for supported access to apprenticeship, the labor market and training opportunities available.

Employers who operate a business in Ontario, who are looking to hire staff, are ready to provide on-the-job training and/or who are seeking people who want to work, may benefit from Job Connect.

A $2,000 bonus will be paid to encourage employers to hire individuals in an apprenticeship program. The signing bonus is paid in 2 instalments, 50% when the youth is registered as an apprentice and 50% six months after the date of hire, provided the youth is still employed by the employer. In order to be eligible, the youth (ages 16 to 24) must not have completed their Grade 12 requirements.

For more information, contact:
Virgina Russell, Program Coordinator
Youth Employment Centre/Job Connect
158 Keil Dr S., Chatham, ON N7M 6B7
Telephone: 519.380.8861
Email: vrussell@st.claircollege.ca

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Employer Signing Bonus

This program is designed to encourage employers to register new apprentices in sectors with a high demand for skilled workers.

A $2,000 employer signing bonus

Assists employers to hire and register youth under 25 years of age who have left school and require upgrading to meet the apprenticeship training requirements.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Training Division
Telephone: 519.354.2766/1.800.214.8284
Fax: 519.354.3094
Website: www.ontario.ca

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Environmental Youth Corp. (EYC) Internship Program

Provides environmental businesses with up to $12,000 in wage subsidies to support an intern position in their company. It reduces the risk involved with hiring a youth professional, while allowing graduates to get a head start in their environmental career.

For more information, contact:
ECO Canada – EYC Project Coordinator
Suite 200, 308 – 11th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 0Y2
Telephone: 1.403.233.0748
Fax: .1.403.269.9544
Email: info@eco.ca
Website: www.eco.ca

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Funding

The Canada Summer Jobs initiative contributes up to 50% of the provincial minimum wage per hour for public and private sector employers and up to 100% of the provincial minimum wage per hour for not-for-profit organizations.

For more information, contact:
Service Canada Centre
315 King Street West, Chatham, ON N7M 5W4
Telephone: 1.800.935.5555
Website: www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/yi/yep/programs/scpp.shtml

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Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) – Internships Program

The Internships Program with Innovative small and medium enterprises is a program delivered by IRAP for Service Canada. It is intended to help young recent graduates to find their first job in their chosen field, by providing a financial contribution to companies to help defray the cost of the graduate’s salary and training.

The maximum contribution is $15,000 per graduate. The length of the internship will be not less than six months but may be up to 12 months.

The following criteria must be met:

• A young (under thirty) new or recent (up to 3 years since graduation), University of College Graduate in science, engineering, technology, finance, administration, marketing or liberal arts

• Is underemployed or unemployed

• Brings new skills to the company gained from a course or at least two years duration or equivalent (in terms of total course hours)

Assistance is paid towards the salary of the graduate (should be market rate), benefits, overheads, mentor’s salary, computer purchase, etc.

For more information, contact:
National Research Council
Industrial Research Assistance Program
55 St. Clair Ave East, Suite 903, Toronto, ON M4T 1M2
Telephone: 1.416.973.3850
Fax: 1.416.973.4303
Website: www.irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

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Ontario Graduate Transitions Tax Credit

The Ontario Graduate Transitions Tax Credit is administered by the Ontario Ministry of Finance and encourages Ontario businesses to provide more work opportunities to unemployed post-secondary graduates.

The Ontario Graduate Transitions Tax Credit for employers consists of tax credits of 10% - 15% of a salary or wage to a maximum of $4,000 per job for the first year of employment for previously unemployed graduates, or graduates employed no more than 15 hours per week for at least 16 of the last 32 weeks immediately preceding the first day of qualifying employment.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Finance
Telephone: 1.800.263.9229
Website: www.gov.on.ca/fin

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Ontario Summer Jobs Service

Summer Jobs Service is designed for individuals who need help in finding employment during the summer. It provides employers a timely supply of students for job vacancies. Summer Jobs Service helps employers by providing:

Opportunities for employers to advertise job openings through walk-in self-direct employment resource centres open to the public at the Job Connect agencies funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Wage support of $2 per hour for jobs up to 16 weeks during the summer

Eligibility Criteria

Employers who operate a business in Ontario, who are looking to hire students for work during the summer, may benefit from Summer Jobs Service. Program operates between April and September.

For more information, contact:
Ginny Russell, Program Coordinator
Community Employment Services
158 Keil Dr S., Chatham, ON N7M 6B7
Telephone: 519.352.9040

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Ontario Works Division - Employment Placement Program

This program was created as an incentive to employers to hire community members receiving social assistance. Participants come with a wide range of skills, work experience and educational backgrounds. Many have recently participated in job specific and job maintenance training. This program is easy to access, easy to use and help is just a phone call away!

Up to $4,500 may be available to offset the costs of training for each Ontario Works Participant hired. There are two types of training funded including "on the job" training and "formal" or outside training dollars. The Employment Placement Program normally funds "on the job training" based on the level of difficulty of the job, the wage, etc.

Each business is assigned an "Employment Placement Advisor" who will screen participant resumes based on the employer's requirements. Further, Advisors can provide other human resource supports including pre-screening, coordination of job fairs and so on. These services have been proven to save Chatham-Kent businesses time and money in recruiting new staff.

Further savings can be realized as the Employment Placement Program covers the cost of WSIB or Accident Insurance for up to 6 months for each Ontario Works participants hired.

"Formal Training" funds can also be shared to cover other employees that are participating in group training with the newly hired Ontario Works participants. Further, Ontario Works Employment Placement Advisors can assist in locating trainers and training programs for the employer.

Chatham-Kent businesses appreciate that the Employment Placement program is easy to use with minimal paperwork. Eligibility for business participation in the program can be determined in minutes over the phone. All "on-the-job" training funds are issued on a reimbursement basis and Employment Placement Advisors can simply use payroll records as a means of tracking the participants work hours.

Employment Placement Advisors are also happy to coordinate services with other government employment programs.

Hundreds of successful placements in Manufacturing, Greenhouses, Maintenance and Customer Service related positions have occurred since the program's inception in 2000. Time and again companies have experienced lower attrition rates with pre-screened Ontario Works participants than they normally encounter. Many local companies call on the Ontario Works program every time they hire.

Contact names and numbers of other companies that have used the Ontario Works Employment Placement program are available to interested businesses.

For more information, contact:
Supervisor, Employment Placement Program
Ontario Works Division, Municipality of Chatham-Kent
435 Grand Ave W., PO Box 1230, Chatham, ON N7M 5L8
Telephone: 519.351.1228 ext. 2170
Email: pollys@chatham-kent.ca
Website: www.chatham-kent.ca/epp

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St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology

The St. Clair College Employment Centre provides:

• Quick access to graduates and students to meet your staffing needs

• Free job listing services; part-time, full-time and summer openings are posted both with on-line system and bulletin boards

• An effective and cost-free means of recruitment

• Interview facilities can be arranged

• Facilities available and assistance organizing job fair events

• Referral to wage incentive programs

For more information, contact:
Jackie Robinson-Grech, Employment Consultant
St. Clair College, Chatham Campus
Telephone: 519.354.9100 x3240
Fax: 519.352.7988
Email: jrobinsongrech@stclaircollege.ca

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St. Clair College Community Employment Services

Program Objectives

Designed to assist those who need help in finding and keeping jobs. Services are available to youth between 16 and 24 and adults across the province.

Program Services

Information and Referral Service – provides information on careers and occupations, the local labour market, training opportunities, job search strategies, resume and interview workshops and free WHMIS certification is available to the general public.

Employment Planning and Preparation – helps people to clarify their employment needs, establish short and long term goals, develop an action plan and search for a job. Eligibility requirements.

Job Development Placement Supports – helps people develop their skills and gain experience through supports such as job trials, volunteer placements, job shadows, subsidized on-the-job training opportunities or direct employment placements. Wage subsidy provided to employers. Eligibility requirements.

Summer Jobs Service – focuses on providing students ages 15 - 24, up to 29 with disabilities, with work experience during the summer months. Employers receive a $2.00 per hour subsidy to hire youth for the summer.

For more information, contact:
Michelle Meloche, Student Employment Services Officer
St. Clair College
2000 Talbot Street West
Windsor, ON N9A 6S4
Telephone: 1.519.972.2712
Toll-Free: 1.800.387.0524 ext. 4619
Email: mmeloche@stclaircollege.ca
Website: www.stclaircollege.ca/jobs

Targeted Wage Subsidy

The Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy is designed to:

• Provide on-the-job work experience to unemployed people who are or have recently been eligible to receive Employment Insurance and are experiencing difficulties finding work

• Enable employers to hire people who face barriers to employment by offering temporary wage subsidies

Participants are unemployed job seekers who meet one of the following conditions:

• Established a claim for Employment Insurance benefits

• Had an Employment Insurance claim in the past three years

• Established a claim for Employment Insurance maternity or parental benefits and were paid benefits within the past five years and are now seeking to re-enter the workforce

Employers:

Businesses, non-profit organizations, municipalities, First Nations councils, public health and educational institutions

For more information, contact:
Goodwill Employment Action Centre
155 King St. W. Chatham, ON
Telephone: 519.354.4400
Fax: 519.354.8030

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Workplace Accessibility Tax Incentive

The Workplace Accessibility Tax Incentive is available to businesses that incur qualifying expenditures to accommodate newly hired employees with disabilities. The business must operate out of a permanent establishment in Ontario and be subject to tax on its income i.e. non-profit businesses and other tax-exempt businesses do not qualify.

The incentive is based on two types of expenditures. The first are expenses incurred by a business in a taxation year to provide the support services of a sign language interpreter, an intervener, a note-taker, a reader or an attendant that are required. The second are the qualifying expenditures (up to $50,000 per employee) incurred by a business in a taxation year to accommodate qualifying employees.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Finance
Corporation Tax Branch, Tax Advisory
33 King Street West, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8H5
Telephone: 1.866.668.8297
Website: www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/credit/wati/index.html

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Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Employment Incentive Program

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s Job Incentive Program provides financial incentives to employers who hire rehabilitated workers.

For more information, contact:
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Telephone: 1.800.663.6639
Website: www.wsib.on.ca

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