Apprenticeship Service Program - (intermediary)

“Employment and Social Development (ESDC)”

Maximum Eligible Amount

Fund Type

Eligible organizations can apply for up to $72,500,000 per year. Organizations must commit to act as an intermediary until March 31, 2024.

We will select organizations that will act as intermediaries to:

manage and distribute funds to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across Canada to hire a minimum of 2,500 new, first-year Red Seal apprentices, per year, in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seals trades
provide SMEs with the following financial incentive:
- an initial $5,000 for the hiring of a new, first-year apprentice in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades
- provide an additional $5,000 if the apprentice is from a key group:
  - women
  - Indigenous people
  - newcomers
  - persons with disabilities
  - racialized communities, including Black Canadians
  - LGBTQ2+
provide SMEs with additional supports to increase their participation in the apprenticeship system
sign agreements with eligible SMEs

Note: SMEs will receive a maximum financial incentive of $20,000 for a maximum of 2 newly created positions per year, per SME.

This Call for Proposals (CFP) will provide funding to intermediaries that have the capacity to support SMEs to hire new, first-year apprentices by:

providing a financial incentive to SMEs to hire new, first-year Red Seal apprentices in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades
offering additional supports to SMEs to recruit and encourage employment of first-year apprentices, such as:
- help to onboard apprentices
- help to create an inclusive workplace
- provide workplace diversity and sensitivity training
- support to hire and retain apprentices from key groups
monitoring and reporting on the use of that funding
evaluating and reporting on results