The 2011 federal budget created a hiring credit for small business (HCSB), a credit intended to stimulate new employment and support small businesses. The latest federal budget proposes to extend the HCSB for 2012.The HCSB gives small businesses relief from the employer's share of employment insurance (EI) premiums paid in a year. It does this by crediting up to $1,000 on the payroll account, based on the increase in an employer's EI premiums paid in one year over those paid in the year before.

For more information on the HCSB visit:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/pyrll/hwpyrllwrks/stps/hrng/hcsb-2012-eng.html

CICP was created by the Government of Canada to help kickstart businesses and get their innovative products and services from the lab to the marketplace. Launched in 2010 to bolster innovation and promote economic growth, the CICP provides Canadian innovators with the opportunity to sell their pre-commercial goods and services through a competitive procurement process to the federal government, get feedback on the use of their new goods and services in an operational setting, and enter the marketplace with a successful application.

http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/comm/vedette-features/2013-02-06-00-eng.html

http://www.labourmarketservices.gov.bc.ca/employers/targeted_wage_subsidies.html
The Targeted Wage Subsidy is an employment program that provides employers with financial assistance towards wages of eligible individuals whom they hire. This program helps individuals who are experiencing difficulty finding work by enhancing their skills and improving their employability.

For more information on how to access a Targeted Wage Subsidy in the North Okanagan please contact:
Leigha Horsfield, Business Services Coordinator
250 545 2215 ext 256
leighah@futuresbc.com

http://www.workbc.ca/employers/finding_workers/expand_your_sources_of_labour.htm
By considering non-traditional sources for workers, including youth, mature workers, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and new immigrants, you can create a diverse workforce and can help strengthen your workplace.

Work Practicum assists eligible individuals who lack work experience by providing an opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of a workplace environment and employer expectations in the workplace. Employers do not pay the individuals in a work practicum, however they are expected to provide constructive feedback and evaluation of job performance.

For more information on how to access a Work Practicum in the North Okanagan please contact:
Leigha Horsfield, Business Services Coordinator
250 545 2215 ext 256
leighah@futuresbc.com

http://www.aspect.bc.ca/tssp
The Targeted Skills Shortage Program offers access to eligible North Okanagan businesses of up to $1,500 for skill development and training for eligible employees. Eligible employees include: those with less than grade 12, and those with grade 12, but without post-secondary diplomas or degrees, and those who require additional skills or certification to benefit the business and the employee. Eligible businesses must be in sectors of: For more information on how to access a Targeted Wage Subsidy in the North Okanagan please contact:
Leigha Horsfield, Business Services Coordinator
250 545 2215 ext 256
leighah@futuresbc.com

The EMPLOY Program is a federally funded, client-centered employment program for youth aged 16 - 30 who face barriers to employment. EMPLOY assists youth in attaining the broad range of skills, knowledge and work experience they need to be successful in today's job market. This award-winning program offers youth the opportunity to learn how to think critically, develop emotional intelligence and gain the ability to self-regulate. Youth that have the capacity to utilize these skills in the workplace demonstrate greater communication and problem-solving abilities, which results in their being more effective and efficient employee.

At the conclusion of the 6 week classroom portion of EMPLOY, youth are given the opportunity to participate in an 8-week paid work practicum with a local employer. This portion of the program is intended for the participants to develop and enhance employability and occupational skills through practical on-the-job experience. Participants will be continuously supported by a Job Coach and will receive individual employability skills training if necessary.

Janet Hackman, Program Coordinator
250 545 2215 ext 215
janeth@futuresbc.com

The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) delivers its Youth Employment Program under Youth Employment Strategy and provides small and medium-sized enterprises with financial assistance to hire highly skilled post-secondary graduates.

To be eligible for financial assistance under the Youth Employment Program, your small and medium-sized enterprise must:

To be eligible for the Youth Employment Program, graduates must:

Small and medium-sized enterprises will receive a financial contribution geared towards supporting a portion of the salary costs of a post-secondary graduate, who will work on technical opportunities within the small and medium-sized enterprise and on non-technical but technology related projects such as:

What is the process?


To engage with IRAP, and to reach one of their industrial technology advisors located in your community, please call toll-free at 1-877-994-4727

Job Creation Partnerships are designed to support projects that provide community benefit while creating jobs that provide unemployed EI eligible Clients with opportunities to gain meaningful work experience. Project activities should benefit both the participant and the community.

JCP projects will maintain or enhance an individual's employability skills by providing a work experience opportunity, particularly if the participants have been unemployed for a long period of time. This experience, together with the networking which participants do while on a project, increases the individuals chances of successfully finding ongoing employment.

For more information including the Applicant Guide, visit: http://www.workbc.ca/Workplace-Resources/Community-Employer-Partnerships/Pages/Community-Employer-Partnerships.aspx

Get Youth Working
http://www.getyouthworking.ca/
Helps unemployed youth to enhance their skills/employability through work experience with employers who receive an incentive to hire them and funding to train them.

http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/business/Income_Taxes/ttc/
The Training Tax Credit Program came into effect January 1, 2007, and provides tax credits for employers and apprentices who are engaged in eligible apprenticeship programs administered through the Industry Training Authority.

http://www.labourmarketservices.gov.bc.ca/employers/labour_market_partnerships.html
Labour Market Partnerships is an employment program that provides financial assistance to organizations to encourage, support and facilitate labour force adjustments and human resource planning activities which are in the public interest.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/txcrdt/sred-rsde/menu-eng.html
The SR&ED program is a federal tax incentive program, administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), that encourages Canadian businesses of all sizes, and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D) in Canada. It is the largest single source of federal government support for industrial R&D.

The SR&ED program gives claimants cash refunds and/or tax credits for their expenditures on eligible R&D work done in Canada.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ich-epi.nsf/eng/02247.html
As part of the Government of Canada's digital economy strategy, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) has been selected to deliver the Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP) from October 2011 to March 31, 2014. This $80-million, three-year pilot program will spur innovation in, and increase the productivity of, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) that adopt digital technologies and integrate them into their business models.

If your firm is incorporated, has 500 employees or less and is currently seeking opportunities to adopt advanced digital technologies with a goal of increasing its productivity, you could be eligible to receive assistance from NRC-IRAP through the DTAPP team. If you are a college or not-for-profit organization interested in delivering services to SMEs to help them to adopt digital technologies, DTAPP could assist you. For more information, please contact Maureen Hatanaka at 250 712 4303 or by email at Maureen.hatanaka@nrc-cnrc.gc.caq.

http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2012JTI0073-000881.htm
As part of 'Canada Starts Here - the BC Jobs Plan', the Provincial government has invested over $4.2 million in the Workplace Training Program which provides training and development opportunities to individuals employed in the retail and tourism sectors. The program is delivered by a group of post-secondary institutions throughout B.C.

For more information on how to access the Workplace Training Program contact Val Banks, Program Coordinator, Okanagan College at 250 503 2661 or by email at vbanks@okanagan.bc.ca.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) accelerates the process for skilled and/or experienced workers or experienced business persons and their family members who want to settle in BC permanently. It allows nominees to apply for Permanent Resident status through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) under the fast-tracked Provincial Nominee stream – which can be faster than applying through many federal immigration streams.

The Strategic Occupations component of the Program helps BC employers recruit or retain qualified foreign workers to help meet current and future labour needs. Nominee applicants under the Strategic Occupations component must either have a job offer of indeterminate length from a BC employer or have completed a masters or doctorate degree at a BC post-secondary institution in either the natural, applied or health sciences.

The Business Immigrants component of BC's PNP considers applications from experienced business entrepreneurs who plan to invest in and actively manage an eligible business in BC.

For more information go to
http://www.welcomebc.ca/wbc/immigration/come/work/about/index.page