Government funded training

This is the part of the mall that's under renovation. Programs change, names change, funding changes. It can all be very confusing and frustrating. However, persistence can pay off.

Employment and Immigration Canada (EIC) is the federal department that administers training funds. The first confusion to deal with is the many names and acronyms people use when they are referring to this institution. Someone might tell you to check with CEC to see if they'd sponsor you and someone else might tell you to check with EIC. In fact they're both telling you the same thing.

Of course, the first rule when someone tells you something that's confusing is ask them to explain. It is never stupid to ask questions until you understand. In fact it's vitally important. However, a little background on the many names of EIC will spare you some confusion.

People commonly refer to Employment and Immigration Canada as EIC, CEC, CEIC, UI, UIC or Manpower. Employment and Immigration Canada (EIC) is the federal department. The Canada Employment and Immigration Commission (CEIC) and the Unemployment Insurance Commission (UIC) are regulatory agencies that don't deliver direct service to the public. The Canada Employment Centre (CEC) is the local office of EIC. Manpower was the name of Canada Employment Centres before 1977 and is still commonly used. In the CEC there are two separate departments--Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Employment Programs and Services, which mysteriously has not developed an acronym.

The important thing to remember about this information is that it explains why there is so much confusion around the name. It does not explain how people are using the terms when they talk to you. Even EIC workers who know the differences often use the names interchangeably. The first rule is always if you're not sure what they're talking about — ask.

The part of this bureaucracy that funds training is Employment Services. You reach them by looking up their telephone number in the blue pages under: Government of Canada/Employment and Immigration/Employment Services, and phoning, or by going down to your CEC office and saying you want training.

There is a limited training budget and not everyone is eligible. EIC funds a wide variety of training programs for people who are in danger of being unemployed for a long term. Their goal is to get people off welfare and unemployment insurance and into the labour market. Generally speaking, their priorities at the moment are:

• people on Unemployment Insurance
• people who experience long-term, recurring unemployment
• Social Assistance Recipients
• displaced workers
• members of the four equity groups named in the Employment Equity Act: women, aboriginal peoples, disabled persons and visible minorities.