Overview

The Alberta Jobs Now program provides private and non-profit businesses with job supports to get thousands of Albertans back to work. Employers can apply for Jobs Now funding to offset the cost of hiring and training Albertans in new or vacant positions.

Alberta Jobs Now supports our province’s recovery, helping businesses re-open or grow their workforce and giving Albertans an opportunity to gain the skills they need in today’s job market.

Application status

Third intake closed at 4:15 MDT on June 30, 2022.

  • First intake closed on July 23, 2021
  • Second intake closed on December 17, 2021
  • Third intake closed on June 30, 2022

Funding

Private sector businesses and non-profit organizations across all industries can apply for funding to reduce the costs of hiring and training Albertans. Additional funding is available for hiring persons with disabilities and those who have been unemployed for at least 27 consecutive weeks prior to being hired.

Employers can:

  • apply for a grant to offset salary or training costs, or both, equal to:
    • 25% of a new hire’s salary up to $25,000 per employee
    • 37.5% of the new hire's salary up to $37,500 per employee with a disability
    • 37.5% of the new hire’s salary up to $37,500 per employee who was previously unemployed more than 27 consecutive weeks prior to being hired
  • apply for up to 10 new hires for the third intake:
    • intake 1: May 20 to July 23, 2021
    • intake 2:  November 10 until December 17, 2021
    • intake 3: June 3, 2022 until June 30, 2022
      • new positions hired on or after December 17, 2021 (the closing date of intake 2) are eligible for third-intake application
  • choose to have funding issued in 1 or 2 payments:
    • 1 payment: up to 100% of the grant after new hires have been employed for 52 weeks
    • 2 payments:
      • half of the eligible grant paid when the new hires have been employed for 3 months
      • the other half paid when the new hires have been employed for 52 weeks
      • New businesses and organizations established within 6 months prior to application will receive 25% of funding at 3 months and 75% at 52 weeks.

For more information, read the Alberta Jobs Now Program Application Guidelines.

  • If you applied for intake 3 (June 3, 2022 to June 30, 2022), read the application guidelines for the third intake period.
  • If you applied during intake 2 (November 10 to December 17), read the application guidelines for the second intake period.
  • If you applied during intake 1 (May 20 to July 23), read the application guidelines for the first intake period.

Benefit to Albertans

Employers

Employers can apply to the Albertan Jobs Now program to cover wages or training costs of hiring workers in new or vacant positions. This funding will help employers re-open or expand their operations.

Unemployed or underemployed

If you are unemployed or underemployed and looking for a new job, let potential employers know they can apply for the Alberta Jobs Now program to cover wages and training costs if they hire you. Workers cannot apply for the program directly.

Employers who hire an individual unemployed for at least 27 consecutive weeks prior to being hired will receive a grant 1.5 times higher than the amount for other employees.

Albertans with disabilities

Employers who hire persons with disabilities will receive a grant 1.5 times higher than the amount they would receive for other employees. If you have a disability and are looking for work, you can let employers know they can receive extra grant money through the Alberta Jobs Now Program if they hire you.

Eligibility

Private sector businesses and non-profit organizations in Alberta can apply.

Applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis.

  • Organizations

    Eligible organizations

    To be eligible, organizations must be one of the following legal entities:

    • private business or partnership:
      • must have a valid Alberta Corporate Access Number (ACAN)
      • must be located and operational in Alberta
      • must have appropriate coverage under the Workers’ Compensation Act
    • sole proprietors:
      • must have a valid trade name number
      • must be registered in the Alberta Corporate Registry
      • must be located and operational in Alberta
      • with coverage under the Workers’ Compensation Act must submit a Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB-Alberta) clearance letter
      • in a WCB-Alberta exempt industry under the Workers’ Compensation Act must submit the following:
        • WCB-Alberta exempt industry letter, and
        • a copy of their federal payroll deductions or GST registration
    • non-profit organizations:
      • must be registered or incorporated
      • must have a valid Alberta Corporate Access Number (ACAN), where applicable
      • must be located and operational in Alberta

    Eligible organizations must:

    • be hiring for new or vacant positions in Alberta for at least 52 weeks
    • provide safe working conditions, and be in good standing and compliance with the Employment Standards Code, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Workers’ Compensation Act and all other applicable legislation and regulations
    • have met or currently meet all obligations to the province under previous grant agreements

    Ineligible organizations

    The following organizations are not eligible to receive funding under the program:

    • federal, provincial or municipal governments
    • public sector organizations, such as public post-secondary institutions, schools, school boards, hospitals, health authorities, etc.
    • political parties
    • provincial or federal Crown agencies, boards, commissions or corporations
    • First Nations – however, businesses owned by First Nations are eligible
    • businesses and organizations that are not in operation for the 52-week duration of the grant
       

  • New hires

    Eligible new hires

    Eligible new hires include:

    • a new hire of the employer
    • a previous employee of the employer can be considered a new hire, if they have not been working for the employer applicant, part or full time for the past 90 days
    • for the third application intake, new hires must have been hired on or after December 17, 2021
    • the offer letter date or start date for new hires can be no longer than 90 calendar days after the application approval and new hire information should be submitted within 30 calendar days after the new hire’s start.
    • a resident of Alberta who will be working in the province
    • a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or protected persons under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, who is legally entitled to work in Canada.

    Replacing new hires

    Under the Alberta Jobs Now Program, employers must hire Albertans for a minimum of 52 weeks in order to receive a wage and/or training subsidy. Employers can replace original hires twice within the 52-week duration of the grant.

    To replace a new hire, the employer must:

    • contact the Alberta Jobs Now Program at [email protected] and identify the new hire being replaced and their last day of employment
    • submit the replaced new hire’s pay stubs via email
    • the current new hire’s status will be changed to 'New-Hire Replaced' in the application portal
    • the employer will enter the information for the replacement new hire (including job offer letter) in the Alberta Jobs Now Program application portal and will be notified by email when the replacement new hire is assessed

    Note: Employers will have 90 days to make an offer or have the original new hire start in the approved position. Employers have an additional 30 days to hire for any replacement new hires. If hiring of original and replacement new hires takes more than 120 days, the position will not be eligible for a full grant payment based on 52 weeks of employment.

    Ineligible new hires

    The following new hires are not eligible under the program:

    • previous employees who were purposely terminated or laid off by the employer to receive the Alberta Jobs Now program grant
    • company owners, directors or board members of the employer applicant or self-employed individuals cannot apply for the grant to fund themselves
    • immediate family members of the company owner or director/board member or self-employed individual:
      • immediate family members include, but are not limited to spouse, common-law partner, adult interdependent partner, child (biological, step, adopted), parent, sibling
    • current and previous employees who have worked for the employer, in a part-time or full-time capacity, in the past 90 days
    • any person who was a previous participant in the Alberta Jobs Now program for the same employer
    • any person who is not a resident of or will not be working in Alberta
    • contractors
    • temporary foreign workers, or anyone temporarily working in Canada
    • any person returning from any type of statutory leave from the employer applicant, for example, parental leave, medical leave, and more

  • Training

    Eligible training

    Eligible training must meet the following criteria to be eligible under the Alberta Jobs Now program:

    • relevant to the current operational needs of the business and result in skills development directly connected to the available job
    • delivered online, onsite or in a classroom, and may be undertaken part-time or full-time
    • started and completed within the duration of the grant
    • take place in Alberta except under exceptional circumstances

    Funding through the Alberta Jobs Now program may be used to cover the following direct training costs:

    • tuition fees or fees charged by a training provider
    • mandatory student fees
    • textbooks, software and other required materials
    • examination fees

    Ineligible training

    The following training is not eligible under the program:

    • apprenticeship training
    • self-study for an exam
    • training for personal interest
    • any training that is or will be funded for the same employee under a different training program, for example, the Canada-Alberta Job Grant
    • travel costs related to training

  • Required documents

    Offer of employment

    Employers must submit an offer of employment or letter of employment as part of the new hire information. These documents should be signed, be on organization letterhead and include:

    • employer location information
    • annual salary (including vacation pay) and position
    • start date
    • new hire name
    • employer signature
    • employee signature
    • if the position is temporary or permanent
    • if the position is full or part time and the average hours of work per week

    Information on new hires

    Employers will be required to provide personal information on their new hires. You can use the New Hire Information Form (PDF, 364 KB) to help collect the required personal information on the new hires. This form is not mandatory and should not be submitted in the application portal.

    If employers do not have all the necessary information from their new hires, employers may re-enter their application after it is submitted to provide this information.

    Payment Information

    Grant payments will be made through direct deposit. To receive direct deposit, employers must submit 1 of the following banking documents:

How to apply

Important notice

Due to strong demand, the third application intake period for the Alberta Jobs Now program closed on June 30, 2022. Employers can add new hires and paystubs to their existing applications in the portal at any time.

Alberta Jobs Now Program Portal Login

Businesses and non-profits located in Alberta may apply at any time during the application intake periods.

Note, the portal may be unavailable at times to make adjustments to the application.

  • Step 1. Read the guidelines

    Before completing your application, read the:

    Make sure you have all required documents noted in the Required documents section above.

  • Step 2. Create a user account and log into the online application portal

    All applications must be submitted through the online application portal.

    Alberta.ca Account is a free account that lets you prove who you are online to the Government of Alberta without paper documents or face-to-face visits. Alberta.ca Account gives you seamless access to a growing range of government sites and services, while protecting your information and privacy.

    You must have an Alberta.ca Account with a secure login name and password to access the online application portal.

    If you already have an Alberta.ca Account, log in with your existing credentials below.

    If you do not have an account, set up a basic Alberta.ca Account using a valid email before accessing the online application portal.

    You are not required to register for a verified account, and do not need to verify your account with a valid driver's licence or identification card. If there are any issues with Alberta.ca Account, call the contact centre at 1‐844‐643‐2789.

    Once the account has been created, use your new credentials to log in to the online application portal below.

    The portal hosts live application forms available for submission during intake periods. Employers can add new hires and paystubs to their existing applications at any time.

    Alberta Jobs Now Program Portal Login

  • Step 3. Complete and submit the online application package

    Applications must be submitted through the online application portal before application intake closure.

    Employers must complete and submit applications before the closing date.

    Make sure you have the following critical pieces of information:

    • legal business name
    • Alberta Corporate Access Number (ACAN) or Alberta Charitable Registration Number
    • permanent establishment address
    • position of new hires
    • salary of new hires
    • banking information

    For detailed information on the supporting documents required, review the Application and Assessment Process section of the program application guidelines.

After you apply

  • Application status

    Your application will appear on the main page of the online application portal in ‘submitted’ status after you submit your application.

    Applications with incomplete or incorrect information will experience a delay in processing. A program advisor may contact the applicant for more information to process the application.

    Applicants who have already submitted their application should not reapply. Resubmitting an application could cause further delays.

    Once the application is processed, employers will receive an approval email from the Alberta Jobs Now Program. The application status will update to ‘approved’ within the portal.

    Upon receiving approval, employers will have 90 days to hire workers into the positions and should update the application with new hire information within 30 days of a new hire’s employment date.

    Employers can return to the Alberta Jobs Now Program portal at any time for further updates on the status of an application.

  • Receiving payment

    Eligible employers will receive 50% of their grant funding 3 months after the new hire has started working, and the remaining 50% after the new hire has completed 52 weeks of employment. New businesses and organizations incorporated within the 6 months prior to application will receive 25% of funding at 3 months and 75% at 52 weeks.  The employer also has the option to request a single payment at the end of 52 weeks of employment.

    In some cases the Alberta Jobs Now program reserves the right to provide 25% for the first grant payment and 75% for the final grant payment for any employer receiving their grant on a 2-payment schedule.

    After new hires have worked for 3 months, employers return to their application in the portal to upload paystubs for each new hire.

    Once all the new hires’ pay information has been submitted, the payment will be calculated and issued.
    Grant payments will be made through direct deposit.

    Make sure the banking information provided at the time of application is accurate to avoid payment delays.
    The grant is a taxable benefit and must be declared on the employer’s annual returns.

Audit and compliance

All applications and corresponding grants may be subject to audit by the Government of Alberta, or their authorized representatives, upon reasonable notice to the recipient.

Contact

Connect with the Alberta Jobs Now program:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-833-838-9500

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