Government of Nova Scotia (Employment Nova Scotia)
Income-based, non-repayable funding for unemployed Nova Scotians retraining for in-demand work — you can apply year-round through your local Nova Scotia Works centre.
Published by G Paul · last checked May 2, 2026
The Skills Development Program is Nova Scotia's mainline retraining grant for unemployed adults whose return to work depends on getting new credentials. It is funded under the federal–provincial Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) and delivered through Employment Nova Scotia's network of Nova Scotia Works employment centres. The provincial government runs it because Atlantic Canada has long-standing labour-market gaps in healthcare, trades, and IT, and getting unemployed Nova Scotians into short, industry-recognized programs is the fastest way to close them. If you qualify, the program pays a customized, non-repayable funding package. That can cover tuition, books, dependent care, transportation, and accommodation, plus a weekly living allowance for the time you are in school. If you are already on Employment Insurance, your EI benefits keep flowing during training (the program does not extend the EI period, just lets you train without losing it). Your contribution to costs is calculated based on your household income, so the lower your income, the more the program pays. Funding is tied to one training intervention at a time, ranging from a minimum of 5 days to a maximum of 3 years. It is not renewable in the academic sense — you train, you finish, you go to work. To apply, you book an assessment with a case manager at your local Nova Scotia Works centre, build a return-to-work action plan together, and submit a formal application at least two weeks before training starts.
Unemployed citizen or permanent resident of Nova Scotia. LMDA-eligible: current or recent EI claim, OR $2,000+ earnings in five of the last ten years. 36 months of labour-market attachment (24 if you're part of an underrepresented group).
This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
This one takes applications all year.
Use the Apply on the official site button on this page: it opens the official application page in a new tab.
You can apply any time: it takes applications all year.
No. You need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
FundMyCourse.ca · checked May 2, 2026
Rolling intake
Customized non-repayable funding (income-based)
fundmycourse.ca/scholarships/nova-scotia-skills-development-program