There were some who thought that, when the notice went out that Human Resources Minister Diane Finley was to be in Oshawa this morning for an announcement on employment insurance, the government was about to cave to opposition demands to enrich the program. Not so. Finley was in Oshawa to re-announce, describe, or otherwise call attention to what Finance Minister Jim Flaherty had announced on Jan. 27 in the federal budget, namely a $500-million fund to help older workers who had been on the job for a long time get set up for new career.
From page 98 of the Budget Plan:
Long-Tenured Workers
As the global economic slowdown has unfolded, a number of communities across the country have been particularly hard hit. Individuals who have spent years working in one industry or for one employer now face the prospect of unemployment and the need to retrain for a new job, possibly in an entirely different industry.
To ensure that Canadian workers have financial support while training for new employment opportunities, the Government will provide $500 million over two years to extend EI income benefits for individuals participating in longer-term training.
This funding will give up to 10,000 long-tenured workers additional time and financial support to allow them to gain the new skills needed to adapt to the changing economy. It will also allow earlier access to EI benefits for workers who have received severance packages, if they use some or all of that severance to purchase skills upgrading or training for themselves.
Finley's press release today offers the same financial figure but there is some decidedly different language on the number of people who will be helped by this fund. In the budget, this fund was to help 10,000. I suspect you will hear Conservative politicians today telling people this fund is now helping 40,000. Here's excerpts from Finley's press release.
… said Minister [Diane] Finley: “Through Career Transition Assistance, the Government of Canada will provide an estimated $500 million to help laid-off long-tenured workers with many years of experience upgrade their skills.”
…
Career Transition Assistance consists of two initiatives to provide additional support to long-tenured workers. One initiative will extend the duration of EI benefits for eligible workers who participate in longer-term training, up to two years. Approximately 40,000 individuals are expected to benefit from this measure. The other initiative will help between 5,000 and 10,000 people by allowing earlier access to EI regular income benefits for eligible workers investing in their own training using all or part of their severance package.