Backgrounder -  Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation Apprentice Incentive Program

Apprenticeship Service

Apprenticeships offer a great way to get the hands-on work experience needed to pursue a career in the skilled trades. Employers play a fundamental role in Canada’s apprenticeship systems, however many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not always have the resources to offer apprenticeship training opportunities. 

Organizations funded under the Apprenticeship Service will distribute financial incentives to SMEs who hire apprentices, and provide additional supports, such as help navigating the apprenticeship system, onboarding apprentices, and creating welcoming workplaces. SMEs with 499 or fewer paid employees are eligible for the funding.

Under the Apprenticeship Service, SMEs will receive $5,000 for each new, first-year apprentice hired, for a maximum of two eligible apprentices per year, and can use the incentive to pay for upfront costs such as salaries and training. In addition, to boost diversity in the Red Seal trades, this incentive will be doubled to $10,000 for employers who hire from equity-deserving groups, specifically women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ communities, newcomers and other racialized communities.

Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation
Apprentice Incentive Program Project  

Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is receiving $2 million for its BNRC Apprentice Incentive Program. The BNRC Apprentice Incentive Program project will provide financial incentives to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Brandon, Manitoba, to hire at least 300 first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades found predominantly in the construction and manufacturing sectors. This includes apprentices from equity-deserving groups, including women, Indigenous people, newcomers, persons with disabilities, racialized communities, including Black Canadians, and 2SLGBTQI+.

Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation will work with its network of SMEs as well as engage with the Indigenous communities and local immigration organizations to hire first-year apprentices from equity deserving groups. It will also match apprentices with employers and support them through the provincial apprenticeship registration process.