April 30, 2008

Skills Training

Manitoba gives $3.8 million for apprenticeships

Richard Gilbert

staff writer

The Manitoba provincial budget will support apprenticeship training and will provide an apprenticeship tax credit for businesses.

The Ministry of Competitiveness, Training and Trade announced on April 15 that as part of the 2008 Budget, it was launching a $3.8 million initiative to support the creation of 1,100 new apprenticeship training seats, as well as a new apprenticeship tax credit for businesses.

Of the new seats, 661 are in the area of construction, 211 in industrial/manufacturing, 182 in transportation and 46 are in the service industry.

“The 1,100 new apprenticeship seats are an important first step toward our commitment to add an additional 4,000 training spaces over the next four years,” said Competitiveness, Training and Trade Minister Andrew Swan. “We are also pleased to offer a new incentive for business to encourage increased employer participation in the system as was recommended by the Apprenticeship Futures Commission.”

The new Apprenticeship Tax Credit will provide an employer who hires a certified journeyperson from an apprenticeship program a tax credit of up to $2,500 a year for up to two years for each journeyperson hired.

The minister said that apprentices are entitled to the province’s tuition fee income tax rebate and receive 60 per cent of their tuition, if they live and work in Manitoba after completion.

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