Formations de courte durée (COUD) — Requalification and skills enhancement

• Financial aid can cover up to 100% of eligible expenses, in addition to those covered by the MEQ, MES, or other aid from the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity.
• Salaries for trainees are eligible up to $25 per hour, with a maximum of $25,000.
• Compensation for trade experts is eligible up to $150 per hour.
• Teaching staff salaries are covered according to the standards of the MEQ and MES.
• Expenses for support staff to assist trainees are eligible.
• Costs for personnel dedicated to the integration and employment maintenance of a new employee are eligible, up to $65 per hour.
• Professional fees for consultants or trainers can reach up to $150 per hour.
• Expenses related to the adaptation of teaching materials for disabilities are eligible.
• Costs incurred for the creation or adaptation of educational materials are covered.
• Expenditures related to management activities by the delegated organization or collective promotor are eligible, up to 10% of total eligible expenses.
• Indirect costs like travel and meals for trainers and trainees are covered according to the Treasury Board's directive.
• Expenses for the training of internship supervisors are reimbursed at 50%.

• The company must be a private for-profit entity, a cooperative, or a non-profit organization.
• The company must partner with a collective promoter eligible for financial aid programs.
• The company's personnel must be released from their duties to participate in the training.
• The training projects must target professions within a labor market balance or deficit as per the "État d’équilibre du marché du travail" report or emerging professions without a diagnosis.

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants for the Formations de courte durée (COUD) program include collective promoters who are recognized as eligible. These promoters can partner with recognized establishments under the Ministry of Education (MEQ) or the Ministry of Higher Education (MES) to implement professional or technical training. The program targets private for-profit businesses, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations that wish to enable their personnel to undertake such training. By collaborating with a collective promoter from their region or sector, businesses can allow their employees to participate in training projects tailored to address workforce recruitment challenges. Therefore, eligible applicants are collective promoters associating with licensed educational establishments and private enterprises, cooperatives, or non-profit organizations interested in these training opportunities.

Who is not eligible

• Projects linked to engineering and information technologies.
• Training for educational personnel in childcare services.
• Companies or entities whose training projects have started before the project's acceptance date.

Eligible expenses

• Salary of individuals undergoing training, up to $25 per hour, with a maximum of $25,000.
• Fees for trades experts, up to $150 per hour.
• Professional fees for consultants or training staff, capped at $150 per hour.
• Professional fees for accompanying staff and costs for adapting teaching materials according to the nature of disabilities.
• Salaries for teaching staff, covered by the MEQ and MES for DEP and ASP.
• Salaries for support staff assisting the success of the trainees.
• Salaries of staff assigned to integration and retention of new employees, up to $65 per hour.
• Costs related to the development or adaptation of pedagogical and didactic materials.
• Purchase of pedagogical and didactic materials.
• Registration fees for equivalency exams.
• Management and administrative expenses borne by the delegated organization or collective promoter, up to 10% of eligible expenses.
• Indirect expenses for training personnel and trainees, such as travel and meal costs, in accordance with the Treasury Board's directive.
• 50% reimbursement for costs related to the training of individuals supervising internships, including the cost of training and trainee salaries, up to $25 per hour.

• Need for workforce based on diagnostics for 516 professions established by the ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale.
• Targeted profession within a sector prioritized by a government strategy.
• Prevalence of training dedicated to internships in companies.
• Training of internship supervisors.
• Diversification of projects.
• Focus on underrepresented groups in the labour market and projects north of the 49th parallel.
• Incorporation of literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy.
• Size of the organization.
• Defined cooperation strategy.

• Promoteurs collectifs must work in collaboration with an educational institution recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEQ) or the Ministry of Higher Education (MES) to implement training programs.
• The financial assistance can cover up to 100% of eligible expenses that complement those covered by the MEQ, MES, or other aids from the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity.
• For reimbursement of overpayments made to the fund, multiple payment options are available including bank transfer, cheque, or credit card with specific instructions for each method.
• Collaborative efforts with the regional councils of labor market partners are essential before submitting a project application.
• The grant application can be sent via email, and the preferred mode of payment for refunds is bank transfer.
• Projects must integrate work-study models, offering training during work hours.