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Canada-Alberta Job Grant helps Fort McMurray businesses

PHOTO. Minister of Labour, Christina Gray (middle) with Aurora Training Corp. owners, Everette and Rebecca Dion. The ATC is one of 20 business in Fort McMurray that benefits from the CAJG. Melanie Walsh. AFTERNOON NEWS ANCHOR.

Last week the Minister of Labour, Christina Gray was in the community to visit local businesses and see how the Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG) is being utilized in Fort McMurray.

“As the Minister of Labour this is one of the ways we are supporting both businesses and employees in working to make life better for Albertans,” said Minister Grey.  “It’s really great to be able to come and get a sense of an actual on the ground business that is working and living in the community and how these grant programs help.”

Through the grant, the government will pay two-thirds of the training costs up to $10,000 for an existing employee or 100 per cent of the training costs up to $15,000 for a new employee.

“It can really help stretch those training dollars for any business, particular a small one so we really want to invest in our local employers and make sure that we are helping employees get the skills they need so I am very proud of this program,” said Minister Grey. 

“In any type of environment, making sure that you have training funds helps the growth with your employees and the development of your workforce.  In an economic downtown or where there are challenges like Fort McMurray has been through, training costs are often the first to be cut out of the budget.”

Over 20 employers in Fort McMurray have used the Canada-Alberta Job Grant to train their employees in a variety of subjects including leadership and technical training.

Aurora Training Corp. was able to receive first aid instructor training through the grant and bring in a trainer as there was not anyone available in town to teach the course.

All of their employees went through the training process and their company went from just having the owners as certified instructors to having six fully certified first aid and CPR instructors, two basic life support instructors and one youth leader instructor.

Rebecca Dion, owner of Aurora Training Corp. notes that the grant really filled the need the company was looking for.

“We were actually looking for qualified employees in Fort McMurray for over a year and we had a lot of difficulty in finding them and we really wanted to have local employees as opposed to bringing people in from out of town,” said Dion.  “We ended up hiring and finding people that met the qualities that we were looking for in instructors and then trained the qualifications.”

If you feel the Canada-Alberta Job Grant would also benefit your business you could apply online here.