WorkBC — Skills Training for Employment

About this award

Up to $7,500 toward tuition, books, and certification fees for unemployed BC residents retraining through approved short-term programs — apply through your WorkBC employment counsellor.

WorkBC's Skills Training for Employment program covers up to $7,500 toward tuition, registration, and most other training fees when you can show that the training will lead to employment and that you have a clear financial need. It is the BC government's main retraining grant for residents who are unemployed or precariously employed and cannot reach sustainable work without short-cycle training. The program operates under the federal–provincial Labour Market Development Agreement and is delivered through the WorkBC Centre network across BC's seven regions, from Cariboo to Vancouver Island. What you get depends on your action plan, but the funding can cover occupational skills training, industry-required certificates, essential workplace skills, and adult basic education or academic upgrading. On top of tuition, WorkBC also offers wraparound supports — child care, transportation, disability accommodations, and equipment costs — for participants who need them to stay in training. The grant is non-repayable and stacks with EI training benefits where you qualify. Funding caps at $7,500 per Action Plan, so it is a one-shot grant tied to a specific training goal, not an annual entitlement. If your circumstances change, your case manager can revise the plan, but you do not get a fresh $7,500 every year. To apply, you contact your local WorkBC Centre, complete an employment-needs assessment with an employment consultant, and document your job-search steps. Approval comes through the case-managed action plan — you do not apply directly to a portal.

Can you get it?

• ✓ Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident — citizenship requirement
• ✓ Certificate, College, Professional, Trades — study level
• ✓ Resident of BC — provincial eligibility
• ✓ Studying all — field of study

How to apply

1. 1

   Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour

   Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.

2. 2

   Submit before the posted deadline~1 hour

   Check the official source for the current deadline — save a copy and submit at least 24 hours early.

More details