Menu
Upskill Canada connects an ecosystem of employers, training providers, and other organizations across the country to collaborate in new ways to build upskilling programs.
Delivery partners can apply for funding to launch their own rapid upskilling programs. We encourage delivery partners to collaborate with other training partners to develop unique delivery models.
Network partners can connect and contribute to upskilling opportunities to support the employers and job seekers they work with. These include industry associations, employment service providers, newcomer agencies and other types of organizations.
Upskill Canada’s program model puts employers at the center of the design and delivery process when it comes to upskilling talent. Employers can participate in Upskill Canada in a number of ways:
Employers can work with delivery partners directly in cases where they have existing relationships, or they can register through Upskill Canada and get directed to opportunities by our partnerships team.
Upskill Canada is focused on supporting mid-career workers with at least three years of work experience, who are seeking new career opportunities in growing fields.
To join an upcoming program, you’ll need to apply and meet some basic criteria to ensure a good fit for the upskilling program you’re interested in taking.
Individuals interested in applying for a program can search available programming and apply directly with one of our delivery partners.
To create talent pipelines for employers to robust pipelines of qualified talent, we must connect the broadest possible network, including industry associations, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, workforce planning boards, employment services, newcomer agencies, as well as training and post-secondary institutes.
Our partnerships team has created an easy-to-use system for finding and connecting with programs on our platform, making it convenient for them to refer jobseekers and employers to upskilling opportunities.
Organizations interested in collaborating with Upskill Canada can register through our website to learn more and connect with our partner engagement team.
Register with Upskill Canada to connect with our partnerships team and learn about the different programs we support and how you can get involved. If you know the program or delivery partner you are interested in working with, you can also reach out to them directly.
Employers cannot apply for funding to upskill their own employees at this time.
Upskill Canada will operate a program access portal to provide a central location to find and connect with program opportunities. This portal will make it easy for participants and employers to locate programs relevant to them. It will also provide an easy way for network partners to refer participants and employers to opportunities across the platform. This portal will launch in the Fall 2023.
Participants of upskilling programs must have at least three years of work experience.
Note the following details:
Canadian organizations that fall into one of the following categories can apply to receive program funding through Upskill Canada:
Register your organization and program idea here. Based on your answers and stage of development, you will be placed in an application stream and either invited to submit a full application in an upcoming round or directed to additional support to further develop your concept.
Yes! Part of the vision for Upskill Canada is a platform where organizations involved in talent acquisition and workforce development from across the country can connect to qualified talent pipelines and program opportunities. Upskill Canada has a partnerships team to connect and serve partners based on their needs, even if you are not applying directly for funding.
Once you register, launch-ready projects will be invited to submit a full application to Upskill Canada. Applicants will have four weeks to submit their application and will be notified of their funding status within 8-10 weeks after submission. Registration will remain open, and a application portal will re-open to accept launch-ready applications approximately every 8 weeks.
Once available, the application portal will remain open for four weeks.
The application portal will open approximately every 8 weeks to accept new program applications.
Applicants will be asked to describe the specific job they are upskilling participants into, and to demonstrate employer demand for talent in those roles. This includes providing a minimum of 3-5 companies who have agreed to co-design the program and potentially hire the candidates upon program completion.
In addition, applications will be evaluated for how their program design aligns with the six components of Palette’s upskilling model, operational capacity and financial robustness of the lead applicant, program budget, accessibility and EDI approaches, and job placement strategies.
All applications submitted to Upskill Canada will go through an internal review process as well as an external review, provided by our Industry Review Panel, a group of industry leaders and hiring managers in talent, HR and people and culture roles, focused on reviewing proposals from a talent acquisition perspective. All proposals will be scored against an evaluation rubric with the Palette Skills board providing governance and fiduciary oversight.
Our program application guide will provide details on what expenses are eligible or ineligible and any limits around costs. We expect proposals to provide budgets that are reasonable and defensible and in line with general market rates. As part of our application review process, we may come back with questions around certain expenses or budget lines if they appear to be outliers.
Programs with demonstrated track records of success that align with Palette’s upskilling model can be funded through Upskill Canada. Delivery partners will be asked to demonstrate plans to expand and/or increase the impact of existing programs through funding.
Funding will be provided to applicants shortly after funding contracts have been signed. Applicants will be informed about the success of their program funding within approximately 8-10 weeks after submission of the full application.
Yes, we encourage delivery partners to collaborate with other training partners to develop unique delivery models.
Delivery partners retain all intellectual property rights for any upskilling programs that are funded through Upskill Canada.
Upskilling programs will start based on the start dates agreed upon in the delivery contracts signed with partners.
Upskilling programs can be up to 16 weeks in length.
Delivery partners can deliver programs in-person or virtually or a hybrid.
Upskill Canada will target employers located across the country, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in high-growth sectors, to better address their skills needs. It will focus on strengthening key growth sectors, including
Upskill Canada has a mandate to ensure programs are delivered in each region of the country and to work to generate proposals from partners in all provinces. Program applications can target any region, but ensuring an equitable distribution of programs based on targets will be a consideration in the funding evaluation process.
We’re here to help! Let us know how we can help support you be part of our national upskilling ecosystem.
Sign up to receive updates, promotions, and sneak peaks of upcoming course. Plus 20% off your next order.
