Employers can be reimbursed up to $10,000 to train employees adjusting to impacts of pandemic
Saskatchewan is extending the Re-Open Saskatchewan Training Subsidy (RSTS) from March 31, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
Launched on June 18, 2020, the program reimburses eligible private sector employers 100 per cent of employee training costs up to a maximum of $10,000 per business. It’s meant to help them train employees as they adjust to the impacts of the pandemic and safely align business activities with the province’s recovery plan.
"This program has been another important tool to support Saskatchewan businesses during the global COVID-19 pandemic," says Jeremy Harrison, minister of immigration and career training. "With significant uptake to this point, the extension of this program will give more businesses the opportunity to access this program as we continue to work through the pandemic and economic recovery."
The program also:
- provides enhanced training support to ensure employers are able to access training to maintain business activities while promoting workplace safety and stimulating competitiveness
- ensures employers are equipped with the skills needed to remain operational and adjust business models
- prepares employers for the safe re-opening of a social-distancing economy.
Nearly six in 10 (57 per cent) of Canadian workers are willing to reskill to get into a new career, according to one report.
From program inception to the end of March 2021, more than 1,000 applications and $4 million in RSTS-funded training have been approved, says the government.
Recently, the Future Skills Centre (FSC) announced it is investing $32 million to provide practical solutions for thousands of workers and employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and prepare them for jobs of the future.
