Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions will be for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Small businesses are a cornerstone in the development of apprentices. Small businesses are willing to hire and support apprentices but rely on the subsidy program to offset associated costs. I would ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: what is the total budget amount of financial resources directed toward wage subsidies for apprenticeships? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister for Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. My first set of questions from the Member for Hay River South. It's a big day for me. The total amount budgeted in the previous main estimates was $1.072 million, and that's for the Trades and Occupations Wage Subsidy Program. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
It's a big day for me, too. Can the Minister confirm whether this budget amount is routinely fully subscribed or under-subscribed?
We don't have the actuals for this fiscal year yet, as we are still in it, but in 2017-2018, there was $948,000 spent, so nearly the entire budget. In 2018-2019, it was down to $655,000, so there was a carry-over of over $400,000, and that is due to a decrease in the number of apprentices, the new registers, from 92 in 2017-2018 to 70 in 2018-2019.
The question I have here is: what are the current subsidy rates and the maximum term of those subsidies provided to employers?
The subsidy rate is $8 per hour, to an annual maximum of 1,600 hours per apprentice, and the maximum wage subsidy support is $25,600, because it's over two years; so it's for two years, $8 an hour, 1,600 hours a year.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South, final supplemental.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. For the final question, well, first of all, it's good to hear that, in a sense, there is extra money in the budget, money that may have not been spent. Is the Minister willing to look at extending the term for third- and fourth-year apprenticeships, as well, to add another year on? I would like to see the money be spread out a bit, and it will really help small business, as well. Will you consider subsidizing third and fourth years, as well? Thank you.
I appreciate where the Member is coming from. I know it's difficult for small businesses across the territory right now, and apprentices and journeypersons are in high demand. It's difficult to compete with the wages that are being offered by the mines and by government and by big industry, so to have that wage subsidy, it helps. If you're a small business and you're going into your third year with an apprentice, you might be concerned that you might lose that apprentice, and we need to help support them, so I am definitely going to look into this. We're going back to industry and to small businesses to see how these recent changes to the program have rolled out on the ground, and we'll make the decision from there, but I'm definitely going to consider all options, including extending this if those funds are available. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
