Using the situation of an Albertan client working a 40-hour week at minimum wage (3.00 per hour in Alberta):

• person with no dependents would benefit (by $51.60) as UI rate is greater than Manpower Allowances;

• single parents with dependents are adversely affected as in all cases their UI benefits are lower than Manpower allowances. This economic disadvantage increases proportionately with number of dependents as UI benefits are based solely on wage rates

DEPENDENTS

The removal of the choice of the higher of the UI benefits and AOT Allowances will severely hamper the efforts being made to encourage women to consider CMTP as a means of increasing their employability or of entering non-traditional fields of employment.

For those clients who were able to supplement their income through part-time employment while on training, further penalties are being imposed if one is on UI benefits rather than AOT allowances. Single parent mothers in particular will face severe restraint as they may not be able to take advantage of part-time employment because of child care arrangements or the desire to maintain the family relationship during evening hours and on weekends. Furthermore, part-time employment may have no significant effect on increasing the income of low benefit UI recipients as the 25% rule will apply. In many cases single parent mothers will be forced to seek social assistance if they wish to pursue CMTP training. This will add to the cost of provincial social assistance payments.

Although in intent these regulations were not likely meant to discriminate against any target group, in practice they very definitely adversely affect persons with dependents who were in a minimum wage earning bracket prior to commencing training. According to 1977 figures, over 2/3 of all working women were in clerical, service or sales occupations. These occupations are all traditionally low paying and offer little job satisfaction. It would therefore be reasonable to assume that women as a group will very definitely suffer if these new allowance regulations are not amended.

It should also be pointed out that, in 1977-78, 20.2% of all female CMTP trainees had one or more dependents and thus may have been adversely affected by such a change in the regulations.

Conclusion:

This system will deter many of those clients most in need of CMTP training from requesting CMTP courses.