Province lends support to Essex Power for training

LEAMINGTON — To help the province recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government is helping to train workers in Essex County so that they can gain the skills and expertise needed.

Essex Power Corporation is receiving $130,401 to help pay for the costs of training its employees through the Bullet Proof Manager (Career and Development Training) program.

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides employers up to $10,000 per worker that takes eligible training.

For small employers and companies with less than 100 employees, the program can cover up to 83 per cent of the training costs.

If they are training and hiring unemployed workers that coverage can rise to 100 per cent and up to $15,000 per unemployed worker who receives training. Larger companies (100 or more employees) can receive coverage for half of the training costs.

“As more and more people enter the job market, ensuring a competitive edge helps keep people ahead,” said Rick Nicholls, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington. “This funding will help businesses and workers boost their skills which will only help our economy recover faster after this pandemic.”

“As we look to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, training and retraining workers will be a crucial part of keeping Ontario at the forefront of the global economy,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “The Canada-Ontario Job Grant is ensuring businesses, like Essex Power Corporation, continue to innovate and compete in a fast-changing world.”