Programs

Human Resource Investment Fund

Employment Insurance Benefits & Support Measures

OBJECTIVE:
To assist individuals to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment or self-employment, resulting in savings to the EI Account.

ELIGIBLE SPONSORS:
Aboriginal Bands, organizations. Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal small business and/or corporations.

ELIGIBLE CLIENTS:
Insured participants are eligible to participate in any Employment Benefit if they are unemployed and:

1. they have established an employment benefit period or one has ended within the 36 months prior to the date of requesting assistance; or
2. they have established a claim for maternity or parental benefits with the 60 month prior to the date of requesting assistance and the individual is now seeking to re-enter the labour force.

All unemployed individuals are able to participate under the Employment Assistance Services.

ACTIVITIES:
 
EI Benefits

1. Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) provides individuals with opportunities to gain work experience which leads to on-going employment. This benefit is designed to meet the needs of both the eligible individual and the community.
2. Training Purchases is a temporary benefit intended to support the purchase of training, coordinator purchases & project-based training activities to help individuals obtain skills, ranging from basic to advanced.
3. Targeted Wage Subsidies encourage employers to hire individuals who they would not normally hire in the absence of a subsidy.
4. Self-employment Assistance encourages individuals in creating jobs for themselves by offering income support, advice concerning accessing capital, coaching and technical assistance while they launch their own business. (Delivered through Community Futures).

EI Support Measures

• Employment Assistance Services assist organizations in the provision of employment services to individuals. The support includes but is not limited to providing activities such as: diagnostic assistance, job search skills, group counseling and related activities to those facing barriers to employment.
• Local Labour Market Partnerships encourages & supports employers, employees and/or employer associations and communities to improve their capacity for dealing with local human resource requirements and implementing labour force adjustments for the unemployed or those facing loss of employment.

TIME FRAME:
Minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of 52.

SUBSIDY:
Support to Individuals

• Living Expenses of participants during their participation on a project or activity.
• The actual cost of Dependent Care or an amount mutually agreed to with the participants for the care of dependents during participation on a project or activity.
• Assistance for Persons with disabilities are expenses related to the individual needs of a participant with a disability to permit their participation on the project or activity.
• Tuition Costs cover all or a portion of tuition fees incurred by participants and are paid to the participants themselves.
• Other Personal Support and transportation are special additional costs for participants such as, transportation or temporary accommodation.
• Participant wages and employment related costs are contributions paid to employers to subsidize the wage & benefits (eg. EI, CPP) of the worker, with the wages qualifying as insurable earnings.
• Overhead Costs normally up to a maximum of $250/week.
• Course Costs are the actual costs of courses purchased for participants and are paid to a training institution.
• Overhead Costs may include the following: administrative & other non-participants staff wages and benefits, licenses, permits, fees for professional services, disbursements for research or technical, studios, disability needs, bank interest, utilities, materials, supplies, travel, insurance, rental of premises, leasing or purchasing of equipment, costs of audits, evaluations & assessments, central administrative functions in support of agreement activities.
• Capital Costs may be provided on a cost-shared basis to the extent that such costs are essential to the achieving the objectives of the project or activity, and the activity/project remains cost effective.