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CASP surpasses goal, distributes $14 million to support apprenticeship recruitment

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – The CLAC Apprenticeship Support Program (CASP) has completed its two-year program to distribute funds across small- and medium-sized construction and manufacturing businesses in Canada to incentivize hiring new apprentices; surpassing its goal of $11.5 million to award a total of $14 million.

CASP, which was funded by the government of Canada’s Apprenticeship Service, completed on March 31. The program provided $5,000 to construction and manufacturing companies for hiring first-year apprenticeships in one of 39 Red Seal trades, with an additional $5,000 received for hires that self-identify as a woman, are newcomers to Canada, Indigenous, disabled or belong to the LGBTQ2+ community.

Over 2,350 businesses participated in the program, with 1,717 first-year apprentices hired through this initiative. Of these hires, 63 per cent self-identified as belonging to one of the qualifying equity groups.

The $11.5 million goal was reached with two months remaining in the program, with Canada’s Apprenticeship Service permitting CASP to distribute an addition $3.7 million. Employers who have registered an apprentice that qualifies for CASP before April 1 remain eligible to claim their incentives until June 30, 2024.

“When we initially set out to reach $11.5 million, we weren’t sure if we could reach such a high goal,” says Colin de Raaf, Ontario training director at CASP. “I’m extremely proud of the work our team has done in connecting employers with this funding opportunity, and in helping over 1,700 apprentices begin their journey in the trades.”