LAKELAND - The province is launching a program with the hopes of lowering Alberta's unemployment rate while supporting businesses.
The Alberta Jobs Now program was announced last week as a way of getting Albertans back to work after the province experienced a nine per cent unemployment rate in April.
Brent Sandmeyer, president of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce said as a chamber they "welcome any program like this that might assist businesses in getting their staff levels back up to a reasonable level."
Through the program, businesses can apply for provincial funding to help cover some of the cost of an employee's salary.
“To look at 25 per cent coverage of an employee’s salary for a whole year, up to $25,000 per employee, is amazing,” exclaimed Executive Director for the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce Serina Parsons.
For Jason Loewer, executive director for EmployAbilities Society of Alberta, seeing the program offer an additional incentive for businesses that hire persons with disabilities was a plus.
"There's two parts to the program, one is for individuals that don't have disabilities and there's another for individuals that have disabilities. Right now, is especially hard for individuals with disabilities that are currently looking for employment and so this is a great program for employers to maybe consider an individual with a disability to be able to bring them into the work place," Loewer expressed.
Businesses and non-profit organizations that hire persons with disabilities could receive a grant 1.5 times higher.
"We encourage employers to hire individuals with disabilities because it's a very common place in our society whether it's a mental health challenge, whether someone is challenged with anxiety or depression, or maybe they have a physical disability or a disability that's hidden, there's individuals that we support within our communities that have disabilities. It's important to know that persons with disabilities have the same capabilities as other individuals and other Albertans so," continued Loewer. "There's a lot of individuals that are very capable and are looking for work. It's an untapped market that they could tap into."
Parsons described the timing of the program as "perfect."
“Coming off the heels of the pandemic, there’s no time like the present. We need to get people back to work that have been impacted by the economic recession in terms of oilfield and the price of oil, and then of course on top of that, the impacts we have had over the course of the pandemic,” she expressed. “It’s giving businesses the opportunity to rehire where they need to, train where they need to, at a dramatically reduced cost to the employer. That’s what our businesses need."
"I like the fact that it has some flexibility between being able to be used for training or as a subsidy for salary," stated Sandmeyer.
The provincial government has dedicated $370 million to the program in an effort to aid private and non-profit businesses.
“We’re investing in Alberta’s economic recovery with financial support to provide job opportunities for unemployed Albertans. This is a long-term investment in working Albertans as we recover from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession," said Premier Jason Kenney in a press release.
Loewer said, "I think the province is taking the right steps to move forward and try to boost the economy and get individuals back and employed. I think they've hit the right sector with individuals with disabilities, because there's a large proportion of people with disabilities in the province that are unemployed at this time. This might be an edge for employers to look at hiring a person with disabilities in Alberta."
Applications for funding are being accepted now until August 31. Employers can apply online through the province's website for up to 20 new employees.
A second intake will be held Sept. 15 to Dec. 31.
In order to be eligible, businesses and non-profit organizations must use the funds to hire an unemployed Albertan in a new or vacant position, the person must reside and work in Alberta, and cannot have worked for the employer applying for the funding within the past 90 days.
Parsons encourages employers to just take the time to fill out the application.
“If you don’t apply, you don’t get it," stated Parsons. “If you want to grow your business, you need to have the skilled staff there to do so, and people need that right now."
She continued, “I just think the timing is perfect, that it’s a great time to create thousands of jobs in Alberta, when you create jobs, you help increase your economy."
