Details announced in Tuesday's federal budget aimed at delivering guaranteed jobs under the proposed Canada Job Grant shouldn't come as a surprise to the provinces, Employment Minister Jason Kenney said Wednesday.
Tuesday's federal budget announced that in provinces or territories where a deal cannot be reached, the government will deliver the federal grant directly through Service Canada starting April 1.
While Kenney has said all along that Ottawa was prepared to go at it alone, Tuesday's budget was the first time the government offered some detail on how it plans to do that.
P.E.I. has taken this as a "take-it-or-leave-it" option while the government of Quebec called it a "threat" and an "encroachment" into its areas of expertise.
The provinces are upset with the government's decision announced in last year's budget to fund the federal grant by taking $300 million out of their Labour Market Agreements which are set to expire on March 31.
Ottawa has been giving the provinces $500 million under the agreements, but the provinces argue that losing 60% of those funds would put programs that train what they call "vulnerable workers" on the chopping block.
According to Kenney, the Canada Job Grant would ensure "that taxpayers are getting a better bang for their buck."
The proposed Canada Job Grant would provide workers up to $15,000 toward skills training to find a new or better job.?
Under Kenney's latest offer, the Harper government would fund up to two-thirds of the grant, with employers kicking in the other third.
