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HOME / NON BRM PROGRAMMING / CANADA-PEI BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS /

Canada - PEI Business Development Program: SKILLS

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:

To provide Prince Edward Island farmers and spouses with access to skills training which has the potential to increase farm profitability and/or total family income, and to enable farm families to make choices about sources of income, pro-actively manage risks, and be better positioned to adopt new technologies.

The program has two components as follows:
On-Farm Skills Training - may be renewed after March 31, 2010
Off-Farm Skills Training - available until March 31, 2010, ONLY

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

1. Participants will receive support to undertake skills development and training in on-farm skill areas including farming practices, business management, accounting, finance, marketing, human resource management, and other skills which may have been identified in the Action Plan developed through the Canada - PEI Business Development Program: SELF-ASSESSMENT.
2. Participants will receive support (until March 31, 2010, only) to undertake skills development and training for alternative off-farm employment and/or alternative business opportunities, providing their income does not exceed the total income thresholds.
3. Participants must undertake skills and needs assessments through Holland College Assessment & Counselling Services. Applicants who have previously been assessed through the Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) are exempt from this requirement.
4. Participants will work with a counsellor and a case worker to develop an Individual Learning Plan (defined as the best plan for training to meet the goals of the participant).

ASSISTANCE PROVIDED:
Assistance will be provided as follows:

• Career assessment and the development of an Individual Learning Plan through Holland College Assessment & Counselling Services is provided at no cost to participants.
• Ongoing case management is provided at no cost to participants.
• Skills training with total costs that are less than $150 are not eligible for assistance.
• On-farm Skills Training
  Financial assistance is available for on-farm skills training as follows:
  1. up to $8,000 per participant and up to $16,000 per farm entity is available for on-farm skills training for both formal and informal learning activities during the period April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2013. The farm entity may have two or more applicants.
• Off-Farm Skills Training (Available until March 31, 2010, only)
  Financial assistance is available for off-farm skills training, as follows:
  1. up to $16,000 per participant over the life of the program for those whose net family income is no greater than $45,000. Maximum of two applicants per farm entity.
  2. up to $12,000 per participant over the life of the program for those whose net family income is greater than $45,000 but not above $55,000. Maximum of two applicants per farm entity.
  3. up to $8,000 per participant over the life of the program for those whose net family income is greater than $55,000 but not above $60,000. Maximum of two applicants per farm entity.

ELIGIBILITY:

• An individual, or the spouse of the individual, who is farming as a sole proprietor is eligible to participate provided the individual is actively engaged in commercial agricultural production and has a minimum of $15,000 in annual gross farm sales.
• An individual, or the spouse of the individual, who is farming in a partnership, a corporation, or a cooperative is eligible to participate provided:
  • The farming entity has (or in the case of beginning farmers, will have within three years of start-up) annual gross farm sales of at least $15,000.
  • The applicant is (or in the case of a beginning farmer, plans to become within three years) a partner/common shareholder (at any level of ownership) in the farm entity.
  • The applicant is actively engaged in the farming entity at the time of application (that is, participates in the day-to-day operations of the farm)
• An individual, or the spouse of the individual, who is a beginning farmer, is eligible. A beginning farmer is an individual who is new to farming or to a farming enterprise, or who intends to establish a farm business, or who has owned and operated a farm business for less than six years. In all cases, it must be demonstrated that the farm business will have within three years, or already has, annual gross farm sales of $15,000 or more.

Individuals who intend to establish a farm business must provide proof of ownership or control of (owns/rents/leases) productive agricultural assets to generate farm income, and a farm budgetary forecast.

Annual Gross Farm Sales are defined as sales eligible for coverage under AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs, and include sales of farm commodities including crop insurance and all livestock and crop sales; but do not include income from custom work, riding lessons, boarding horses, land and facilities rent, sales of forestry products, most government program payments, or any other non-commodity income. For more details on allowable sales, see the Farming Income and the AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs Guide (Publication RC4060 from the Canada Revenue Agency).

In addition to the eligibility requirements listed above, those applying for off-farm skills training assistance must also meet the following criteria:

• Total family net income, as reported on Line 236 of the Income Tax Return, must not exceed $60,000. For established farmers, the last three years' income is averaged. Beginning farmers may choose the latest year's income only.
• Total family net income is determined as follows:
  • Those who file taxes as widowed, divorced, separated, or single ⇒ the applicant's income.
  • Those who file taxes as married or living common-law ⇒ the income of the applicant plus the income of the spouse.
  • Those who are shareholders in a corporation or co-operative ⇒ their share and/or their spouse's share of net corporate income will be included.
• Applicants who are approved for training benefits from Employment Insurance (E.I.) Part II will be excluded from receiving off-farm training assistance through this program.
• Applicants must have been out of school for at least two years in order to qualify for off-farm training assistance through this program.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria and submit a completed application form with supporting documentation to the Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture.

Expenses incurred prior to application approval are not eligible for assistance under this program.

Operational guidelines for this program are in a separate document. They provide additional detail and are the official guidelines for the program.

ADMINISTRATION:
Eligibility will be determined by the Agriculture Resource Division, Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture.

Submit completed, signed applications to:

Delivery of the program has been contracted to Holland College. Applicants will be referred to Holland College for assessment, development of an individual learning plan, case management, approval of training, and payments.

For further information, contact:

TERMINATION:
This program is effective April 1, 2009, and will terminate on March 31, 2010, unless renewed by the Minister of Agriculture for Prince Edward Island. The program may be altered or discontinued at the discretion of the Minister of Agriculture for Prince Edward Island.

Forms

Canada-PEI Business Development Program: SKILLS

Application Form

Printable version of this form [389 KB PDF File]