The Wage Subsidy Program is designed to assist eligible individuals in gaining on-site work experience which will lead to continued employment upon completion of the contract.

The contract arrangement establishes a partial reimbursement of wages to the employer while the individual learns new skills through supervised instruction. The employer is able to offset labour costs and benefit from a capable employee.

Note: Employers must apply and receive approval before hiring the participant.

Objectives

To assist employers in offsetting the cost associated with hiring new employees and developing their skills in order to create long-term employment opportunities.

To assist unemployed persons in gaining employment where they can build on their existing skills or develop new ones.

Who We Are

We are a private company contracted by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to deliver the wage subsidy program.

Our staff is located in Parksville, Nanaimo and Duncan and they are trained in job development and employer/employee relationships.

Who Is Eligible

Unemployed individuals:

1. who are currently receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. OR
2. whose EI benefit period ended within the last three (3) years. OR
3. who received EI Maternity or Parental benefits within the past five (5) years and are now returning to the work force.

Eligible Employers

Employers who are registered with Canada Customs and Revenue Canada for the payment of source deductions and with WCB and who are:

1. Businesses
2. Non - Profit Organizations
3. Municipal Governments
4. Bands / Tribal Councils
5. Public and Educational Institutions

Steps for the Client

1. The client needs to create a "Return To Work Action Plan"
2. Client gets refered to the Wage Subsidy Program where the client will need to do an eligibility check and fill out some paper work before starting the job. The timeline for the application process is approximately 72 hours.
3. If the client has an employer in mind, then he/she can ask the employer to contact Global Vocational Services to request participation in the program.

Steps for the Employer

1. An employer contacts one of our offices and asks to speak to a Job Development Coordinator.
2. Either the employer has a potential employee in mind or would like us to post a position.
3. The employer would then need to fill out some paperwork and this must be completed before the participant starts work. The timeline f or the application process is approximately 72 hours.
4. The employer and the Job Development Coordinator negotiate a wage reimbursement percentage and the length of the contract based on the amount of skill development the participant requires.
5. The minimum number of hours the employer must offer the participant is 30 per week.
6. We reimburse the agreed upon percent of the wage on a monthly basis and our commitment is to have the cheque out of our office within five working days of receiving the claim.
7. Upon completion of the claim, the employer is asked to submit a short survey regarding their experiences with the program. The survey will be provided.

Note: Paperwork and procedures have been streamlined to ensure an efficient and timely development of the Wage Subsidy contract and reimbursement of claims.

The Job Development Coordinator will assist and support both the employer and the participant with the necessary documents.

Contract Parameters

The duration and percentage of reimbursement of each contract is determined by the skill development needs of the participant.

Hourly wages must meet industry standards