The government of Saskatchewan has announced a new temporary training subsidy that will help companies educate employees in safety protocols surrounding COVID-19 prevention and adjust their business models as they reopen.
The Re-Open Saskatchewan Training Subsidy (RSTS) program will reimburse eligible private-sector employers 100 per cent of employee training costs related to the reopening of their company, including training for new cleaning protocols, up to a maximum of $10,000 per business. The application deadline is July 31, 2020.
“This program is another tool to support Saskatchewan businesses through this challenging period by fully funding the costs of the short-term training necessary to reopen and adapt to the post-COVID environment,” said Jeremy Harrison, Immigration and Career Training Minister, in a statement. “Through this program and other initiatives, we remain committed to working with businesses during this period of economic recovery throughout the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.”
A spokesperson from the province’s Ministry of Immigration and Career Training said a wide variety of programs fall under the eligibility requirements for the subsidy, explaining that “employers are encouraged to pursue training that will support the viability of the business, such as new health and safety requirements or adopting innovative practices to help the business adapt to social distancing requirements.” Programs surrounding the prevention of COVID-19 outbreaks within facilities through a focus on proper cleaning protocols may be eligible if the proposed training meets the eligibility parameters of the RSTS and is provided by a third-party training provider.
The $2 million RSTS program was created to support the short-term training of employees, focusing on areas such as health and safety requirements and the adoption of social distancing practices. The program is a temporary emergency response for employers in the province that are on the province’s list of critical public services and businesses allowed to operate during the state of emergency, as well as companies that will reopen in a confirmed phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.
