Apprenticeship
Service Program

If the apprentices are legally eligible to work in Canada, then they are eligible for this program

The 499 employees count is based on payroll and includes office and admin staff.

It is acceptable to hire an apprentice if the employee is registered with a union as an apprentice, whether or not the
union is the official employer and paying the apprentice’s salary.

If the employer is the union (paying the apprentice’s salary) and provided that the union meets all the requirements to qualify as a small and medium-sized employer under the Apprenticeship Service program (i.e., must have 499 paid employees or less at the time that it receives the funding) then the union would receive the financial incentive. If the employer is paying the apprentice’s salary, regardless of whether the apprentice is registered by the union, then the employer would receive the financial incentive and additional supports.

The agreement says, “Once in the lifetime of the program”. As long as it has been taken before March 21, 2024.

If an audit were requested of the project, the intermediary (UBC)and never a third party (SME) would be reviewed.
Only the project finances would be accessible to the government and only the amounts sent to the SME (5k, 10k, 20k) would be accessible or valid for the review. They would only verify that these funds were sent to them and received as per the signed agreement, there are no parameters on the incentives so an audit could not go more in depth.

Depending on the timeframe, this will have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If the apprentice quits fairly soon into the hiring, we will try and provide a new apprentice to work with the SME. If the apprentice quits with only a few days left in the minimum employment timeframe, we will honor the agreement to pay the SME.

Types of approved expenses for advance reimbursement may include the purchasing of transportation assistance, tools, and equipment and/or personal protective equipment for an apprentice. The employer would need to purchase such things as a bus pass, cab slips, work boots etc. for the apprentice and then fill out the Apprenticeship Service Program Reimbursement Request Form and send the receipts in an email requesting reimbursement along with their banking information for repayment.

No, while an in-person meeting is preferred to ensure that the contractor has all the information necessary before signing the agreement it is not mandatory. As long as the contractor/owner has read the agreement carefully and is fully aware of what they are signing, they can sign and send it back via email