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HRSDC

Human Resources and Skills Development Program
(as reprinted from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

Program Objectives:

• The purpose of the Skills Development Program is to provide support to unemployed Employment Insurance eligible individuals without marketable skills, to find the most direct route possible to employment, resulting in savings to the Employment Insurance Account.
• The objective of the Skills Development Program is to provide a negotiated level of financial assistance to individuals who require skills training in order to secure employment.  Eligible individuals, who are approved under the Skills Development Program select, arrange and pay for their own training.

How does it work?

An application for funding under the Skills Development Employment Benefit must be approved by HRSDC in advance of the applicant commencing training.

Duration?

Agreements are generally for up to 52 weeks, but may be approved for a period of up to three years.

Financial Parameters?

• Individuals currently on an active Employment Insurance claim may continue to receive their regular Employment Insurance benefits until the end of their benefit period;
• Individuals who participate in Skills Development are normally required to make a contribution towards the cost of their training;
• Funding may be provided to cover all or a portion of the cost of tuition of a course or program of instruction and/or living expenses;
• Funding may be provided to individuals to cover all or a portion of the cost of required books, software and related expenses for a course of instruction;
• Assistance, negotiated on an individual basis with a program official, may be provided to cover all or part of incremental costs due to participation such as expenses relating to dependant care, disability needs, transportation and accommodations;

Who can apply?

• Eligible participants are those who, according to the Employment Insurance Act, are unemployed individuals:
  • a) for whom an unemployment benefit period has been established or has ended within the
    36 months prior to the date of requesting assistance; or
  • b) for whom a benefit period that included a maternity or parental claim has been established within the 60 months prior to the date of requesting assistance, after which the individual remained out of the labour market in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child and is now seeking to re-enter the labour force.
• The date the completed application is received by the Commission is when an individual is considered to have requested assistance for the purpose of determining whether you qualify as an ‘insured participant’.
• Other criteria may apply.

How do I apply?

You must complete the Skills Development application form (EMP 5259) to make your request for assistance under the Skills Development Employment Benefit. As part of the application process, it will be necessary for the applicant to receive an employment assessment and develop a Return to Work Action Plan with a case manager. The case manager's statement is required before the Commission can assess an application. Please contact your local Human Resources Centre of Canada for information on where you can receive this service. For more information visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca

ODSP

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is intended to meet the needs of people with disabilities and help them to become more independent.
The ODSP has two parts:

1. Income Supports provides financial assistance to people with disabilities
2. Employment Supports provides the supports people with disabilities need to get and keep jobs.  

For information about the kind of help you may get and how to apply for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), the following guides are available:

• ODSP Handbook
• Information for clients - ODSP Employment Supports
• ODSP Office List

Willis College can help you research your career options and provide career training to start you down the path to a new career.