EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

EI information for apprentices

Eligibility for EI Benefits

Through the Employment Insurance (EI) system, the Government of Canada provides income support to eligible apprentices during their periods of in-school technical training.

Note:  If you are attending WATTS or Distance Delivery, or Enhancement Courses you need to contact Alberta Employment and Immigration to obtain approval to attend training while in receipt of benefits.

The following is general information for apprentices who wish to receive EI benefits while attending technical training.

• If the employer has work available, in most instances you are expected to remain employed up to the Friday before the start of technical training.  If you would like EI benefits prior to attending technical training, you must meet the same conditions for collecting benefits that are expected from all clients. If you wish to have a holiday prior to the start of your technical training, you will be considered unavailable for work and, therefore, ineligible to collect benefits. You may take your holiday; however, you may not serve a waiting period or collect EI benefits during a period you are on vacation prior to training.
  
  
• NEW:  Apprentices preparing for training can now apply within the 7-day period prior to the last day of work. You do not have to wait for your Record of Employment (ROE). To complete your application however the record of employment is required to complete your claim for benefits.  If you delay filing the application, you could lose some of your benefits.
  
  
• If you are receiving EI benefits before you attend apprenticeship training you will need to provide the training information to ensure that your benefits continue once you commence training.  You may do this by calling the Service Canada call centre at 1-800-206-7218 to advise them of the training information.  Please have your reference code available. 
  
  
• Important note:  A reference code is to be issued by the training institution and must only be used for approved, full-time apprenticeship training. DO NOT USE THIS CODE if you are attending WATTS or Distance Delivery training methods, and/or pre-apprenticeship or enhancements to apprenticeship training.

For more information contact Service Canada either online at www.servicecanada.gc.ca or by calling the Service Canada Call Centre at 1-800-206-7218.

Also please refer to EI, Grants, and Scholarships on this site.

EI information for employers

Employers' responsibilities

Although every effort is made to ensure the information on this page is accurate, employers should consult www.servicecanada.gc.ca, the official source of information regarding Employment Insurance.

Prior to sending their apprentices to attend apprenticeship technical training, employers have several responsibilities regarding Employment Insurance (EI) benefits for their apprentices.

Record of Employment:

The application for Employment Insurance will be accepted without the Record of Employment (ROE) however, your employee cannot be paid until the ROE is received and benefits are assessed.  It is very important that your apprentice receive the ROE as soon as possible after the last day of work.

If the apprentice wishes to stop work prior to the Friday before the start date of the apprenticeship technical training, the employer must indicate the correct reason for leaving.

Reason Codes:

“A”    (shortage of work) should be used when the work period ended as a result of a lack of work, end of contract, end of season, a temporary shutdown of operations or any other reason equivalent to a shortage of work.
“J”    (apprenticeship) should be used when the apprentice will be off work for only the time period required to attend the apprenticeship technical training as approved by the apprenticeship authority and the employer.
“C”    (return to school) should be used to reflect when an employee decides to leave work voluntarily, without the approval of the employer to attend training (non apprenticeship)
“N”    (leave of absence) should be used when an employee decides to take a leave of absence for a time period before the start of apprentice training without approval or recommendation to do so by the apprenticeship authority.

Apprentices are only able to collect EI benefits for periods where they have not caused their own unemployment.

Apprentices who wish to have time off for personal reasons prior to training are viewed as having opted not to work and, therefore, have removed themselves from the labour force.  These apprentices may not be eligible to collect benefits or serve a waiting period prior to the course as they could have worked but chose not to. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• Record of Employment Assistance - Alberta Region:  1-800-561-3992.
• ROE’s on-line refer to:   http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/ei/employers/roe_web.shtml
• How to complete a ROE:  http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=en/ei/employers/roe_guide.shtml&hs=rxr#16
• Employment Insurance (EI) information for employers: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/ei/publications/pubindex.shtml#employers