B.C. Employer Training Grant
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- States real length limits, about 1,332 words in total. Only 64 tell you how long to write.
- 32 separate rules can reject you before anyone reads your answers. That is more than 95% of the programmes we have read.
- You have to fund part of this yourself. The programme states your share.
Can you win this grant?
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
The B.C. Employer Training Grant provides funding to small, medium and large enterprises to support skills training for their workforces, including prospective new hires. It reimburses employers 80% of eligible training costs, up to $10,000 per participant and $300,000 per fiscal year, with the goal of helping British Columbians access skills training while encouraging employer involvement.
Eligibility Requirements
- Employer registered and operating in British Columbia
- Not a provincial government body, Crown corporation, hospital, health authority, or public post-secondary institution
- Training employees or new hires — self-employed applicants are eligible and name themselves as both the applicant employer and the participant
- Application submitted before training begins (applying after training starts is automatic disqualification)
- Training provider is a third-party provider (internal staff training is ineligible); if it is a private provider meeting the PTIRU threshold (40+ instructional hours and $4,000+ tuition for at least one program), it must be PTIRU-certified with all of its programs listed in the PTIRU Directory
- Training does not lead to a full or partial diploma or degree, and does not exceed 52 weeks
- Application submitted by the employer directly (not by a third-party consultant or grant writer)
- Business must have been fully operational for at least one year at the time of application (a business that is registered but not currently operating, or not yet started, is ineligible)
- Participants must be at least 16 years old
- Only paid employees are eligible participants — volunteers and members of the Board of Directors do not qualify
- Refugee claimants are not eligible participants
- Contracted workers are eligible participants only if the employer will hire them as an employee as a result of the training
- A participant currently employed by another company is generally not eligible, unless they have been directly or indirectly impacted by local economic disruptions such as tariffs or mass layoffs (e.g. in forestry) and are at risk of losing their job
- Employer must be in good standing with the Province — past compliance failures (e.g. not providing a job to a participant after training, not submitting the Employer Completion Report, not participating in the Employer Outcome Surveys) can bar re-application
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $10,000 per employee
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 80% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Below average competition
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipApply before training starts - applications cannot be submitted after the training start date, and while training may legally begin before you get a decision, a denial leaves you responsible for the whole cost.
Rejection Pitfalls 13
- Training already started before application submitted (most common — read: apply BEFORE training begins)
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How the Government of British Columbia judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on workbc.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-04.
6 of the sources
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What the Government of British Columbia favours
Training must fit your business's immediate needs and the participant's job◦
“Employers will be required to demonstrate that training aligns with the immediate needs of the business and the participant's job.”
The form
Before you apply
- 1Business BCeIDcheckboxno limit
- 2pick the training and the third-party providershort answerno limit
- 3one course per applicationshort answerno limit
Organization Profile
- 4NAICS and business information documentsselectionno limit
- 5Business Descriptionwritten answer · 2,000 characters
For the Business Description you can copy and paste from another document or format your text up to 2000 Characters.
Application — dates and training program
- 6Start a new applicationselectionno limit
- 7Delivery start and end datesshort answerno limit
- 8Forest sector / local economic disruption questionyes/no + writtenno limit
- 9Training Programwritten answer · 2,000 characters
Training Provider
- 10Training Providerwritten answer · 2,000 characters
- 11Out-of-province training provider justificationwritten answerno limit
Training Costs
- 12Training Costs — participants and expense typestableno limit
- 13Travel expense documentsshort answerno limit
Participants
- 14Participant Information — invite each participantlistno limit
Review and submit
- 15Review and submit — declarationcheckboxno limit
Reimbursement claim
- 16participant attendancetableno limit
- 17amounts per participanttableno limit
- 18proof of paymentshort answerno limit
- 19review and submitcheckboxno limit
Completion report
- 20did each participant finishyes/no + writtenno limit
- 21was each participant still employedyes/no + writtenno limit
- 22participant outcomesselectionno limit
- 23survey questionwritten answer · 2,000 characters
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
- 1
Will this training change someone's job?
Show them Name the participant's current job, the skill gap the course closes, and which of the funder's four 'better job' outcomes results.◦
- 2
Is the price reasonable for the training?
What to show them in Premium
- 3
Does this employer move up the queue?
What to show, and the funder’s 6 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Can you start, claim and report on time?
What to show them in Premium
4 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“You can apply and start the training before your application is approved. However, if we don't approve your application or return it unassessed, you will have to pay for any training costs yourself.”
“Can I change a participant on an approved Agreement? No, you will need to cancel your Agreement and re-apply. However, you cannot re-apply for training that has already started.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 32 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
28 more rules that can reject you · 6 more criteria · 20 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Apply before training starts
Applications cannot be submitted after the training start date.
Your organisation
Non-profit, municipality, Indigenous government or union
Eligible employers include non-profit organizations, municipalities, regional districts, Indigenous governments, and unions applying on behalf of workers they represent.
Not a government employer
Provincial government employers are not eligible. This includes Crown corporations and agencies, hospitals, regional and provincial health authorities, and public post-secondary institutions. … Federal and territorial governments and federal Crown corporations and agencies are also not eligible.
The trainee
Not a refugee claimant
Refugee claimants are not eligible.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Reimbursement rate80% reimbursed, employer pays 20%
The Province will reimburse employers 80 per cent of eligible training costs. The employer must contribute the remaining 20 per cent.
Funding capsup to $10,000 per participant
Employers are eligible to receive up to $10,000 per participant and up to $300,000 per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31).
Reimbursement onlyEmployer pays upfront; 30-day claim
If approved, employers (not participants) are to pay for all costs in full and, after training has started, submit a reimbursement claim within 30 days.
Travel ratesGround $0.65/km; air up to $800
Ground $0.65 per km; Air $800 maximum (return, economy only, receipts required, seat selection and baggage fees not eligible); Accommodation $150 per day with receipts, or $34.93 per night for private accommodation; Meals breakfast $15.02, lunch $17.38, dinner $30.03, full day $62.43.
Grant is taxableTaxable; consult an accountant
The amount an employer receives from the ETG is taxable. You should consult your accountant or the Canada Revenue Agency for tax advice.
Your shareEmployer contributes remaining 20%
The employer must contribute the remaining 20 per cent.
StackingNo stacking; covers costs other funders don't
You cannot receive ETG funding when training costs are already covered by another funding source (e.g., government grant or bursary). However, you can apply to the ETG to cover any costs not covered by another funding source.
Costs before approvalNo applications after training start date
Applications cannot be submitted after the training start date.
What it pays for · 6
- Tuition fees
- Mandatory student fees
- Examination fees
- Textbooks, software and other required materials
- Certain travel costs (Appendix C gives details)
- Mandatory unpaid practicums for occupational certifications
What it does not pay for · 5
- Membership fees, subscription fees, annual fees, professional association dues
- Software purchases/licenses for the business
- Laptops, tablets and other hardware
- Equipment (e.g., boots and tools)
- Participant wages while in training
From application to money
- Apply before training startsApply at least 60 days before start
- Decision within 60 dayswithin 60 daysDecision within 60 days
- Pay the provider in fullPay the provider in full
- Claim within 30 daysClaim within 30 days of start
- Submit completion reportSubmit completion report at term end
- Two mandatory surveysSurveys at 6 and 12 months
In the funder’s words · 6
- Apply before training starts
- Submit through the Skills Training Grants System before the training start date, with every participant's own Information Form completed first. (at least 60 days before the training start date)
- Decision within 60 days
- You are notified whether your application is approved, denied or returned unassessed.
- Pay the provider in full
- Employers must pay for all training and training-related expenses; participants must never bear a cost.
- Claim within 30 days
- Submit a completed reimbursement claim once training has started and the provider has been paid in full.
- Submit completion report
- Submit the Employer Completion Report once all participants have finished training.
- Two mandatory surveys
- The Government of Canada sends out surveys about 6 and 12 months after training is finished. (about 6 and 12 months after training is finished)
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win B.C. Employer Training Grant
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 13 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 7-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 7
Eligible Expenses 5
Ineligible Expenses 12
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow B.C. Employer Training Grant Compares
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about B.C. Employer Training Grant