About HRSDC | Our Offices | Programs & Services | A-Z Index March 31, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05-22 WOODBRIDGE, ONTARIO - The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, on behalf of the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today officially launched the Training Centre Infrastructure Fund (TCIF) three-year pilot program. This $25-million program will address the need for union-employer training centres to purchase up-to-date equipment and machinery. It will focus on trades that have undergone significant expansion or technological change, and will help training centres to meet industry standards and reflect the needs of the workplace. It will also help tradespersons to adapt to the changing skills requirements in today's workplaces and benefit employers by making available workers with upgraded skills, thereby increasing workplace productivity. The Government of Canada's investments through the TCIF will match up to 50 percent of the purchase cost of the equipment. "This is an excellent example of partnership between the Government of Canada, business and labour," said Minister Robillard. "Innovative programs are key to the success of our modern economy. To maintain Canada's competitiveness in the 21st century, it is essential to have productive, high-performance workplaces, supported by new technology and a highly skilled work force. This program will help us to reach that goal." "Canada is stronger when its people fully contribute their skills and talents to the labour market and to our society," added Minister Volpe. "The pilot program will match funding for the purchase of new equipment used at union-employer training centres for skilled trades training." The three-year pilot program will improve workplace skilled trades training and productivity by enabling journeypersons to train on up-to-date equipment. Today's announcement is part of Canada's Workplace Skills Strategy, aimed at helping Canadians to become the best trained, most highly skilled workers in the world, as well as ensuring that employers' needs are met. The Government of Canada recognizes that Canada's future competitiveness depends on a highly skilled work force and on high-performance workplaces that focus on skills development. It will work with business, unions, provinces and territories, sector councils and workers to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to develop their skills so that they can obtain meaningful and productive jobs. For information on eligibility and how to participate, please see the attached backgrounder. - 30 - For more information: Michael O'Shaughnessy Director of Communications Office of Minister Lucienne Robillard (819) 994-2482 Stephen Heckbert Director of Communications Office of Minister Joe Volpe (613) 957-9892 Media Relations Office Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (819) 994-5559 Backgrounder Training Centre Infrastructure Fund Program Funding Program objective To help selected union-employer training centres, focused on skilled trades, to replace existing or purchase new training equipment for trades that have undergone significant technological change, whose occupational scope has broadened or that have new curricula, which therefore require new equipment to address the skill change. The strategic objective of the Training Centre Infrastructure Fund (TCIF) pilot program is to test whether federal funding can leverage increased investments by unions and employers to purchase up-to-date training equipment for union-employer training centres. The TCIF pilot program will be evaluated to assess its success, relevance and cost effectiveness. Union-employer consortia that receive TCIF funding must be willing to provide the necessary information so that the program can be evaluated. Eligible applicants/recipients To be eligible for the funding, applicants must be a consortium (group of partners), which includes trade unions (at the local, regional, provincial and/or national level) and their affiliated industry/employer stakeholders, that operates a union-employer training centre. Eligible criteria Consortia must have a union training centre where members and employees will receive training or have a means by which to deliver remote training. Criteria include the following: evidence of a union-employer partnership that supports skills training; an established union training centre or mobile training unit; evidence that equipment sought will support trades that have undergone significant technological change, whose scope has broadened or that have new curricula; a rationale for how skills gained as a result of using the new equipment will enhance industry productivity or competitiveness; the potential to maximize the number of people who receive training; training focused on trade occupations, with priority given to Red Seal trades; financial viability of the consortium, which includes immediately available funds for the consortium's 50-percent contribution, and funding mechanisms to support related costs that are not eligible for federal funding; and a clear training plan that incorporates the ongoing use of the new equipment. Funding Financial contributions will be provided to eligible recipients to cover 50 percent of the cost of purchasing equipment for union-employer training centres. Maximum contribution and duration The maximum amount payable to each recipient is $500,000 per consortium for one year, which will cover up to 50 percent of eligible project costs. The maximum agreement duration is one year. How to apply Interested union-employer stakeholders are invited to participate in the annual call-for-proposals process. This is a two-step process, whereby applicants will first submit a letter of intent, by April 30, 2005. The purpose of this letter is to ensure that applicants meet the basic eligibility requirements before completing the full application. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the assessment criteria and successful applicants will be notified. TCIF program criteria and application instructions are available in the application package. To request an application package, please contact the following: Training Centre Infrastructure Fund Program c/o Trades and Apprenticeship Division, Human Resources Partnerships, HRSDC Phase IV - 5th floor, 140 Promenade du Portage Gatineau, QC K1A 0J9 You can send an e-mail to the following address: nc-tcif-ficf-gd@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca You can also visit Human Resources and Skills Development Canada's Web site at the following URL: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca
