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Apprenticeship Completion Grant
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New in Canada’s Economic Action Plan
As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government made a commitment to encourage skilled trades and apprenticeships by investing $40 million per year in an ongoing Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) program which complements the existing Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG). It is estimated that approximately 20,000 apprentices will be eligible each year for the ACG.
Contact information:
- Click Apprenticeship Grants
- Call 1-866-742-3644 TTY 1-866-909-9757
- Visit a Service Canada Centre near you
About the Program
What is the Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG)?
The Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) is a taxable cash grant of $2,000 maximum per registered apprentice after they successfully complete their apprenticeship training and obtain journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade, on or after January 1, 2009.
The ACG enhances the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG) and the objectives are to:
- Increase access to apprenticeship in the Red Seal trades by helping apprentices cover expenses such as the purchase of tools and other materials required for learning on-the-job and travel expenses associated with classroom training;
- Encourage the apprentice’s progression through the technical and on-the-job training requirements in the early years of their apprenticeship program, building momentum towards certification;
- Promote interprovincial mobility by increasing the number of apprentices who remain in the Red Seal trades and get their journeyperson certification.
Through the AIG and the ACG, completing apprentices who receive their journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade could be eligible to receive a maximum of $4,000.
What is the Red Seal trade program?
The Government of Canada supports apprenticeship by working with the provinces and territories through the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA). The CCDA is responsible for the administration of the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program which aims to facilitate the interprovincial mobility of skilled tradespeople by harmonizing trade requirements and certification in 50 different trades.
The Red Seal allows qualified tradespeople to practise their trade in any province or territory without having to write additional examinations, thus improving labour mobility in Canada and saving time and resources by eliminating the need for multiple examinations.
For more information on the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program click here.
Eligibility Information
Am I eligible for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant?
Eligible apprentices must complete their apprenticeship program in a trade that is designated as a Red Seal trade in the province or territory where they become certified. Apprentices must also successfully complete their training in a designated Red Seal trade and receive their journeyperson certification, on or after January 1, 2009.
To be eligible for the ACG, you must be:
- A Canadian citizen, permanent resident* or protected person*;
- Out of high school;
- Able to show you have completed an apprenticeship program as a resgistered apprentice in a designated Red Seal trade;
- Able to provide proof that you have received your journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade, on or after January 1, 2009.
You are not eligible for the ACG if you obtained your journeyperson certification in one of the designated Red Seal trades without completing an apprenticeship program in that trade.
*Permanent residents and protected persons must include a copy of their status document from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Am I eligible for more than one Apprenticeship Completion Grant?
No. The Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) is a one time taxable cash grant of $2,000 maximum, available to apprentices who have successfully completed their apprenticeship program and obtain their journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade, on or after January 1, 2009.
I am a Trade Qualifier, why am I not eligible?
Trade Qualifiers* are not eligible for the ACG as they did not complete their apprenticeship program as a registered apprentice.
The ACG enhances the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG). Combined, these programs are meant to help cover some of the tuition, travel and tool costs associated with being a registered apprentice. These Grants will encourage apprentices to complete their apprenticeship program and receive their journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade.
For more information about Trade Qualifiers, contact your provincial/territorial apprenticeship authority.
*See definition of Trade Qualifier
What trades are included in the Red Seal Program?
To date, there are 50 trades included in the Red Seal Program on a national basis which account for over 88% of all apprentices and more than 80% of the total trades workforce in Canada. To find out more about the Red Seal trades designated in your province or territory, visit the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program Web site.
Why is the grant limited to trades that are provincially / territorially designated as Red Seal trades?
The Grant is intentionally designed to encourage more apprentices to complete their training and eventually become certified as journeypersons and receive their Red Seal certification.
The Red Seal Program promotes a national standard for training excellence in the skilled trades. The 50 Red Seal trades represent 89% of registered apprentices in Canada and a substantial portion of the trades' workforce.
For a complete list of Red Seal trades, visit red-seal.ca. To find out more about Red Seal trades in your province or territory, contact your apprenticeship office.
Do I need a Red Seal to be eligible for the ACG?
No, you will not require a Red Seal to be eligible for the grant for the first two years of the ACG. However, you do need to obtain your certification in a trade that is designated Red Seal in your province or territory.
Application Information
How do I apply for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant?
You can apply for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) in the following ways:
To apply online, you must be able to:
- Provide the appropriate supporting documents showing that you have completed an apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade
- Provide the appropriate supporting documents to show you are a certified journeyperson in a designated Red Seal trade, on or after January 1, 2009.
- Once you have received the appropriate supporting documents from your provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority, you may apply online
- Complete the online application
- Mail or deliver supporting documentation to Service Canada.
If you prefer to use a paper application to apply for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant, you can:
- Download a printable application form or request a paper application form by phone at the Apprenticeship Grants dedicated call centre at 1-866-742-3644.
- Mail or deliver your completed application form and supporting documentation to Service Canada.
What documents do I need before I apply?
You will need to provide documentation that shows proof that you completed your apprenticeship program in a Red Seal trade, and to show that you have received your journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade, on or after January 1, 2009.
| Province Territory | Required Document(s) | Issuing Authority | Determination of Certification Date (the certification and completion date are the same) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Journeyman Certificate OR Occupational Certificate |
Government of Alberta | Date on the Journeyman Certificate OR The date on the Occupational Certificate |
| British Columbia | Certificate of Apprenticeship & Certificate of Qualification |
Industry Training Authority (ITA) | Date on Certificate of Qualification |
| Manitoba | Apprenticeship Completion letter & Certificate of Qualification |
Manitoba Dept of Competiveness, training and trade | Issue Date on Certificate of Qualification |
| New Brunswick | Completion Letter | New Brunswick Department of Post Secondary Education, Training and Labour | Issue date on Confirmation Letter |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | Completion Letter (Confirmation of Certificate Issued) | Newfoundland and Labrador Registrar of Apprentices | Completion Date in Confirmation Letter |
| Northwest Territories | Certificate of Apprenticeship & Certificate of Qualification |
Northwest Territories Department of Education, Culture and Employment | Date on Certificate of Qualification |
| Nova Scotia | Certificate of Apprenticeship | Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development | Issue Date on Certificate Apprenticeship |
| Nunavut | Completion of Apprenticeship Certificate & Certificate of Qualification |
Nunavut Department of Education | Issue Date on Certificate of Qualification |
| Ontario | Certificate of Apprenticeship & Certificate of Qualification |
Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (MTCU) | Issue Date on Certificate of Qualification |
| Prince Edward Island | Completion Letter | Apprenticeship Training Manager | Completion Date on Completion Letter |
| Quebec | Letter #1009 Confirmation of your eligibility & Certificate of Qualification |
Emploi Québec: Compulsory certification trades | Certificate date |
| Quebec | Workplace Apprenticeship Program Agreement & Certificate of Qualification |
Emploi Québec: Voluntary certification trades | Certificate date |
| Quebec | Admissibilité à la Subvention à l'achèvement de la formation d'apprenti letter | Commission de la construction du Québec | Date of letter |
| Saskatchewan | Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship & Journeyperson Certificate of Qualification |
Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Commission | Issue Date on Certificate of Qualification |
| Yukon | Completion Letter | Training Support Officer | Issue Date in Completion Letter |
Where do I send my supporting documents?
- By mail:
Residents of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Yukon:
Alberta – Apprenticeship Grants Western Processing Centre
Calgary South Service Canada Centre
100-6712 Fisher Street SE
Calgary, AB T2H 2A7Residents of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia:
New Brunswick – Apprenticeship Grants Eastern Processing Centre
Miramichi Service Canada Centre
P.O. Box 1030
Miramichi, NB E1V 3V5Residents of Quebec:
Quebec – Apprenticeship Grants Processing Centre
New Richmond Service Canada Centre
122 boul. Perron West, 2nd floor
New Richmond, QC G0C 2B0 - In person at a Service Canada Centre near you.
Is there a deadline to apply?
Yes.
Service Canada must receive your application by June 30th of the year following the year in which you completed your apprenticeship and became certified in your trade.
For example, if you completed your apprenticeship program and received your journeyperson certification in February 2010, you will have until June 30, 2011 to apply.
You are required to submit your supporting documents to Service Canada. You must also ensure the postmark1 date, or the date received and date stamped at a Service Canada Centre is on or before June 30th of the calendar year following the calendar year in which you completed your apprenticeship and became certified in your trade.
Please refer to the following table for interpretation of the June 30th deadline:
| Completion of your apprenticeship and receipt of certification in trade. |
Deadline for submitting ACG application |
|---|---|
| January 1 to December 31, 2009 | June 30, 2010 |
| January 1 to December 31, 2010 | June 30, 2011 |
The ACG is an on-going program and all eligible apprentices are encouraged to apply
1A postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package or postcard indicating the date and time the item was delivered into the care of the postal service.
Why did my friend qualify for the grant and I didn't, when we were in similar apprenticeship programs, but we lived in different provinces? (I am a Construction Craft Worker in Manitoba and my friend is the same in Ontario.)
To be eligible, you must have completed your apprenticeship training as a registered apprentice and have received your journeyperson certification in a Red Seal trade which is designated as such in your jurisdiction. This means, where a trade is provincially or territorially designated Red Seal, the apprenticeship authorities in that province or territory have accepted the interprovincial standard. For example, a Manitoba Construction Craft Worker apprentice does not qualify for the ACG because Construction Craft Worker is not a designated Red Seal trade in Manitoba.
I have just completed the final year of a two-year apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade (for example Hairstylist). Am I eligible for both the second level AIG and the ACG?
Yes, you may be eligible however; you must complete two separate applications and provide the necessary supporting documentation with each application submitted. Please refer to the supporting documentation section on this website for more information.
Do I have to receive the AIG in order to be eligible for the ACG?
No. You are eligible for the ACG if you have completed your apprenticeship program and receive your journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade, whether or not you have previously received the AIG.
Why apply online?
- You will be able to complete the online application from any computer with access to the Internet.
- It is user friendly and there is an easy to read help feature that coaches you through each field of the application.
- You will have drop down menus or buttons for the majority of the fields on the application.
- It provides you with the option to print a summary sheet for your records, prior to clicking the “submit” button.
- There is never any worry about delays, once the “submit” button is clicked, the completed application goes directly to the processing centre.
- The system automatically generates a confirmation number for you, as proof of receipt of the application.
- Your application is tracked with a confirmation number which must be identified on the supporting documents you mail in, to match the documents to your application.
Financial Information
Is the Apprenticeship Completion Grant taxable?
Yes, the ACG is a taxable cash grant. ACG recipients will receive a T4 slip in the mail in February. Quebec residents will receive a Relevé 1 with their T4A. The tax slip will be sent to the mailing address you indicated on your ACG application form.
Will the ACG affect my EI benefits?
No. The ACG is not considered as employment earnings. There will be no impact on the Employment Insurance (EI) benefits of any claimant who receives it.
What can apprentices, who receive the ACG, spend their money on?
There are no restrictions or conditions as to how ACG recipients choose to spend their grant money. However, the grant was designed to recognize and to cover financial costs associated with apprenticeship training such as tool costs, tuition fees, travel costs, etc.
Related Information
Where can I find more information about trades and qualifications for trades?
Training and certification for skilled trades fall under provincial/territorial jurisdiction. Please contact your provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority for more information about trades and qualifications.
Who should I contact to obtain more information on the Red Seal Program?
You should direct your questions to the apprenticeship branch for the province or territory in which you are interested. For general information about the Red Seal Program you can also contact the Red Seal Secretariat as follows:
Red Seal Secretariat
140 Promenade du Portage
Phase IV; 5th Floor
Ottawa/Gatineau K1A 0J9
Fax: (819) 994-0202
redseal-sceaurouge.response-reponse@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
www.red-seal.ca
What is the Job Creation Tax Credit for employers?
The Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit provides a tax credit of up to $2,000 per year for employers who hire apprentices in a Red Seal trades program. Additional information is available on the Canada Revenue Agency Web site.
What is the Tradesperson’s Tools Deduction for tradespeople?
The Tradesperson's Tools Deduction is a deduction of up to $500 to tradespeople for the cost of tools used for work. Additional information is available on the Canada Revenue Agency Web site.