23 workforce training and skills development programs for Quebec employers in 2026. From Emploi-Quebec's 50% cost-share to federal wage subsidies, apprenticeship tax credits, and Quebec's 1% training law — North America's most structured employer training ecosystem.
Quebec employers in 2026 can access 23 active workforce training and hiring programs — 6 Quebec-specific plus 17 federal programs available nationally. The programs below represent the full accessible landscape for Quebec employers.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: $5,000–$7,000 per co-op placement
Covers 50% of wages for post-secondary student placements ($5,000 standard; $7,000 for underrepresented students). Quebec employers apply through delivery partners like Magnet, CICan, or sector-specific organizations. One of the most accessible federal training programs — open to any industry.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to 100% wage subsidy (at minimum wage)
Covers wages for students (15–30) hired between May and August. Non-profits receive 100% subsidy; private sector employers receive 50%. Annual intake opens in late fall. Quebec employers consistently rank among the highest applicants nationally. Apply through Service Canada.
Organization: Canada Revenue Agency
Level: federal
Amount: 10% of eligible wages, up to $2,000 per apprentice per year
Federal non-refundable tax credit for employers hiring registered apprentices in Red Seal trades during their first two years of training. Particularly relevant for Quebec construction, manufacturing, and electrical trades employers subject to CCQ collective agreements. Claimed on Schedule T2SCH31.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to 80% of wages, max $25,000 per intern
Covers wages for youth (30 and under) in science, technology, engineering, and environment roles related to natural resources and clean energy. Strong fit for Quebec clean tech, forestry, and energy-sector employers. Apply through NRCan's delivery partners.
Organization: Scale AI Supercluster
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1,000,000 per project
Montreal-headquartered supercluster funding for AI and machine learning training projects in supply chain. Currently paused pending next intake announcement. Strong fit for Quebec manufacturing, logistics, and retail companies upskilling teams in AI tools. Projects spanning multiple companies in a supply chain score significantly higher.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $2,000,000
Funds unions and union training organizations to modernize apprenticeship programs and improve completion rates in Red Seal trades. Relevant for Quebec's heavily unionized construction, manufacturing, and public sector. Unions apply — employers benefit indirectly through improved apprentice training quality.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Weekly per-worker top-up + training subsidies during reduced hours
Supplements Work-Sharing agreements by topping up EI replacement income from 55% to ~70% and providing training subsidies for employees during reduced work hours. Designed for employers avoiding layoffs during economic slowdowns — allows upskilling during downtime.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $50,000,000
Funds sector-based industry associations and employer coalitions to address specific workforce shortages. Individual businesses do not apply directly — this is an industry-level initiative. Quebec sector associations in healthcare, construction, and tech have successfully accessed this funding for multi-employer training projects.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: $8,000,000–$15,000,000
Large-scale funding for organizations delivering training to help workers transition to sustainable economy jobs. Currently between intakes. Projects must be minimum $8M — designed for training organizations, unions, and large industry associations rather than individual employers. Strong interest from Quebec's clean energy and manufacturing sectors.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5,000,000
Funds organizations delivering foundational skills training (literacy, numeracy, digital skills, problem-solving). Employers do not apply directly — training providers and non-profits deliver programs to employees. Quebec francophone training organizations have been significant recipients, delivering bilingual and French-only foundational skills programs.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $25,000 (delivered through intermediary organizations)
Supports youth facing barriers to employment through intermediary organizations — community agencies, non-profits, and Indigenous organizations apply rather than employers directly. Currently between intakes. If you are an employer wanting to hire youth through YESP, contact established Quebec delivery partners like Jeunesse, J'ai Ma Place, or regional CJEs.
Organization: National Research Council Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1,000,000 (project-based)
IRAP's hiring-wages component covers wages for technical employees working on eligible R&D projects. Particularly relevant for Quebec tech, cleantech, biotech, and manufacturing SMEs with active innovation projects. Access requires an assigned IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) relationship — contact NRC's Quebec offices in Montreal or Quebec City.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies (delivered through Indigenous organizations)
Supports employment and skills development for Indigenous peoples through funding agreements with Indigenous service organizations. Quebec-based Indigenous organizations delivering ISET services include several Cree, Mohawk, Inuit, and First Nations bodies. Employers wanting to hire Indigenous workers can contact ISET delivery organizations in their region about partnership opportunities.
Quebec has the most structured employer training system in Canada, which means both more options and more complexity. The right starting point depends on your employer size, sector, and training type.
If you are a small employer (under 50 employees) doing any type of training: Start with Emploi-Québec's Mesure de formation de la main-d'oeuvre through your local Services Québec office. It covers 40–50% of direct training costs regardless of sector or company size — the most accessible and fastest program in the Quebec ecosystem. Contact your local office before you commit to any training contract.
If you are hiring co-op students or new graduates: The Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) covers $5,000–$7,000 per placement and works for virtually any Quebec industry. Apply through a delivery partner (Magnet is the largest general-purpose option). Stack this with Canada Summer Jobs for student hires in May–August — these programs fund different cost types and can be used concurrently.
If you are in manufacturing, construction, or a skilled trade: The Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit ($2,000 per apprentice/year) is free money at tax time for Red Seal trade employers. Combined with Emploi-Québec's sectoral agreements — which can cover 60–80% of training costs in manufacturing and construction — a well-structured apprenticeship can be net-subsidized by 70–80% of its direct cost.
If you are in AI, supply chain, or tech: Watch for the next Scale AI Training Program intake (currently paused). It covers up to $1M per project for AI/ML training in supply chain and is based in Montreal — Quebec companies have disproportionate access. For current tech hiring, IRAP's HR Advisor component covers wages for technical staff on active R&D projects up to $1M.
| Program | Amount | Type | Eligibility | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWPP | $5K–$7K/placement | Wage subsidy | Any QC employer + post-sec student | Co-op placements, any sector |
| Canada Summer Jobs | Up to 100% wages | Wage subsidy | Any QC employer hiring students 15–30 | Summer student positions |
| AJCTC | $2K/apprentice/yr | Tax credit | Red Seal trade employers | Construction, manufacturing, electrical |
| STIP Green Jobs | Up to $25K/intern | Wage subsidy | QC employers; youth 30 and under | Clean energy, forestry, environment |
| Scale AI Training | Up to $1M | Grant (paused) | QC companies training in AI/supply chain | AI upskilling, multi-company projects |
| UTIP | Up to $2M | Grant | Canadian unions (not employers directly) | Apprenticeship modernization |
Quebec operates one of North America's most structured employer training systems — shaped by provincial legislation, a dedicated labour market fund, and sector-based partnerships. Understanding these layers can meaningfully reduce your training costs.
The Loi favorisant le développement et la reconnaissance des compétences de la main-d'oeuvre requires every Quebec employer with an annual payroll of $2 million or more to invest at least 1% of total payroll in eligible employee training each year. Employers investing less must remit the shortfall to the Fonds de développement et de reconnaissance des compétences de la main-d'oeuvre (FDRCMO) administered by the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail (CPMT). Eligible expenditures include instructor fees, tuition paid on behalf of employees, wages during authorized training time, and cost of developing internal training materials. Most mid-size Quebec businesses find it more advantageous to spend the 1% internally on strategic skills development than to remit to the fund.
Emploi-Québec (now delivered through Services Québec offices) reimburses up to 50% of direct training costs — instructor fees, rented training spaces, and a share of participant wages during training hours. For employers in recognized priority sectors, reimbursement rates can reach 60–80% through ententes sectorielles (sector training agreements) in areas such as information technology, aerospace, manufacturing, and the social economy. Contact your local Services Québec office for the current list of active sectoral agreements in your region.
Beyond direct grants, Quebec employers can access two significant tax credits:
Tax credits can be stacked on top of Emploi-Québec subsidies for the same employee — as long as you are not double-counting the same dollar in both a grant reimbursement claim and a tax credit.
| Body | Role | Who It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| CPMT | Administers FDRCMO fund; sets provincial training priorities; oversees sectoral workforce committees | Employers subject to the 1% law |
| Services Québec | Direct employer training subsidies (Mesure de formation); sectoral agreements; workforce integration | All QC employers of any size |
| ESDC | Funds federal programs (YESP, SWPP, UTIP, Skills for Success); channels federal money to QC via Labour Market Agreements | QC employers hiring youth, apprentices, co-op students |
| Investissement Québec | Advisory support + loans for training-linked productivity improvements; tax credit guidance | Mid-to-large QC businesses with growth/export mandates |
| CCQ | Governs construction trade apprenticeships; manages collective agreement training funds | Construction employers and apprentices in regulated trades |
Quebec's training funding system has multiple access points — the right entry depends on whether you are accessing provincial programs through Services Québec, federal programs through Service Canada, or stacking both. Here is the complete step-by-step process for Quebec employers:
The Loi sur les compétences applies to any employer whose total Quebec payroll reaches or exceeds $2 million per year. If you meet that threshold, you must spend at least 1% of total Quebec payroll on eligible training activities — or remit the shortfall to the FDRCMO with your annual RL-1 summary filing. The law covers salary, wages, overtime, and taxable benefits paid to Quebec employees. Businesses below the $2 million threshold are exempt but can still access all Emploi-Québec subsidized training programs.
Provincial programs administered by Services Québec default to French-language delivery. Training materials submitted for reimbursement must be available in French. However, the law does not prohibit bilingual or English-language delivery where warranted — for example, technical certifications with no French equivalent, or training for employees in designated bilingual positions. The practical test: if a francophone employee can meaningfully access the training in French, you are generally in a good position for provincial reimbursement claims.
Yes, with care. Federal workforce programs (SWPP, Canada Summer Jobs, STIP Green Jobs) are separate from Quebec's provincial programs. You can use a federal wage subsidy to offset employee wages during a co-op placement while simultaneously claiming Emploi-Québec's training measure for instructor and material costs for a different training activity with the same employee — as long as identical costs are not double-claimed. The simplest rule: one expense, one funder. A Services Québec advisor can map out a compliant multi-funder plan before you apply.
For small businesses under 50 employees: (1) Emploi-Québec Mesure de formation — 50% cost-share on any eligible training through your local Services Québec office; (2) SWPP — $5,000–$7,000 per co-op student placed; (3) Canada Summer Jobs — up to 100% wage subsidy for student hires; (4) AJCTC — $2,000 per apprentice per year for Red Seal trades; (5) CIFORM tax credit — 30–50% of eligible training costs at tax time. These five programs can be stacked legally for a typical training project to recover 60–80% of net training cost.
Quebec employers hiring registered apprentices can access: (1) AJCTC — federal non-refundable credit of 10% of first/second-year apprentice wages, up to $2,000 per year, for Red Seal trades; (2) UTIP (Union Training and Innovation Program) — up to $2M for unions modernizing apprenticeship programs (applicable to Quebec's heavily unionized construction sector); (3) Emploi-Québec sectoral agreements — for CCQ-regulated trades, sector agreements with construction and manufacturing bodies can subsidize mentor time and training materials at 60–80% of cost.
Employers approach their local Services Québec office with a training plan — describing the objective, provider, number of participants, and estimated costs. An advisor reviews eligibility and issues a financial contribution agreement covering 40–50% of eligible direct costs. You pay the full invoice up front, then submit receipts and a training completion report to receive reimbursement. Turnaround for straightforward projects is 4–8 weeks after training is complete. Priority sectors and employers in workforce adjustment situations may qualify for higher reimbursement rates under special measures.
Yes. The Scale AI Training Program provides up to $1M per project for AI/ML training in supply chain operations — it is based in Montreal and Quebec companies have disproportionately strong access. Currently paused pending next intake; sign up at scaleai.ca for notifications. For immediate AI adoption, Quebec's ESSOR digital transformation grants (up to $30K) support digital diagnostic and implementation projects, which often include staff training as an eligible expense. IRAP's HR Advisor component also covers wages for technical employees working on AI-related R&D projects.
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