Analysis of the 2009 and 2010 Federal budgets related to training.

The National Association of Community Colleges had an analysis of the 2009 and 2010 Federal budgets related to training compared. Here are the results:

2009 - Providing $8.3 billion for the Canadian Skills and Transition Strategy. This will help workers directly affected by the economic downturn with enhancements to Employment Insurance and funding for skills and training.

2010 - In 2010–11, Canada’s Economic Action Plan will provide more than $4 billion in additional benefits, training opportunities and Employment Insurance (EI) premium relief to help unemployed Canadians through this difficult period, and help ensure that they are equipped to re-enter the workforce and prosper in the future.

2009 - Increasing for two years all regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefit entitlements by five extra weeks and increasing the maximum benefit duration to 50 weeks from 45 weeks.
- Extending work-sharing agreements by 14 weeks, to a maximum of 52 weeks, so more Canadians can continue working. This measure is estimated to cost $200 million over two years.
- Budget 2009 will provide more protection to workers by extending the Wage earner protection on an ongoing basis to also cover severance and termination pay, subject to the current maximum of four weeks of insurable earnings. The enhanced protection is estimated to cost $50 million for the first two years.

2010 - Providing up to an extra five weeks of EI regular benefits for all EI-eligible claimants, providing greater access to EI regular benefits for long-tenured workers, and extending the duration and the scope of the work-sharing program.
- Up to an extra five weeks of Employment Insurance benefits – $1.15 billion
- Enhanced work sharing -$200 million
- Extended benefits for long-tenured workers – $1.3 billion
- Wage earner protection – $50 million

2009 - Providing $500 million over two years to extend EI income benefits for Canadians participating in longer-term training, benefiting up to 10,000 workers.

2010- The Government is providing $1.6 billion in 2010–11 to strengthen benefits for the unemployed.

2009 - The Government will provide targeted two-year funding of $1 billion, to top up the current funding of $1.95 billion annually, in order to expand the availability of training delivered through the EI program by provinces and territories.

2010- The Government is providing almost $1.0 billion in 2010–11 to enhance training opportunities for all Canadian workers.
- This includes additional support to the provinces and territories to expand training and skills development.

2009 - Investing $500 million over two years in a Strategic Training and Transition Fund to support the particular needs of individuals who do not qualify for EI training, such as the self-employed or those who have been out of work for a prolonged period of time.

2010 - Strategic training and transition fund – $500 million

2009 - Investing an additional $100 million over three years in the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) initiative, expected to support the creation of 6,000 jobs for Aboriginal Canadians.

2010 - Aboriginal skills and employment partnerships – $80 million
2010 - Aboriginal human resources development strategy – $25 million

2009 - Investing $75 million in a two-year Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund.

2010 - Aboriginal skills and training strategic investment fund – $75 million

2009 - Freezing EI premium rates at $1.73 per $100 for both 2009 and 2010

2010 - Freezing the Employment Insurance premium rate at $1.73 per $100 of insurable earnings to the end of 2010
- When the temporary freeze of EI premiums is lifted in 2011, premium rates will be set by an independent arms’ length Crown Corporation, the Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board (CEIFB).

2009 - Providing $50 million over two years for a national foreign credential recognition framework in partnership with provinces and territories.

2010 - Foreign Credentials recognition – $50 million

2009 - Responding to skilled labour shortages with $40 million a year to launch the $2,000 Apprenticeship Completion Grant.

2010 - Apprenticeship completion grant – $80 million

2009 - Supporting older workers and their families with an additional $60 million over three years for the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers and expanding it to include workers in small cities.

2010 - Targeted initiative for older workers – $40 million

Developed by Flagship Solutions for NACC.