Jason Kenney: Canada Job Grant

Canada Job Grant: As expected, the premiers have dug in their heels against the Canada Job Grant, a forthcoming program devised by Ottawa to match federal and provincial funds with dollars from employers who want to train workers for specific, available jobs. Provincial leaders, including Albertas Alison Redford, have complained that the new grant will sap $300-million from existing provincial programs and take control over training away from the provinces, according to Globe and Mail. The premiers are also calling for flexibility in the way the Job Grant would work, and Jason Kenney, the new Employment Minister, has signalled he is willing to discuss adjusting the way the grant is deployed when he meets with provincial ministers this fall. That is encouraging, and there should be some give-and-take in settling the fine details and A united demand from Canadas 13 premiers that their provinces be allowed to opt out of a major new national job-training program is a misguided way to lead off an important federal-provincial negotiation. But the federal governments attempt to tie job training to employers with specific needs is worthwhile, if complicated, as Canada strives to better address labour shortages. Critics have said some existing provincial training programs were proving ineffective. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.