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Workplace first aid training
Last Update: March 3, 2026
Quebec, Canada
Subsidizes workplace first aid training for eligible workers based on sector
Grant and Funding
Overview
CNESST provides financial assistance to subsidize first aid training for a maximum number of workers per establishment (5% in most establishments; 20% in mining excluding quarries, forestry excluding sawmills, and silviculture; 10% in construction), with subsidized courses counted over a 3-year period and paid directly to the training provider. The program supports eligible activities related to workplace or construction-site first aid courses for workers, while employers cover costs such as first aid service setup and maintenance, worker absence, and travel within a 40 km radius.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop employee skills
Eligible Funding
- Up to 5% of project cost
Timeline
- Open continuously
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Construction
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- All industries
Target groups
- All the groups
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- All dimensions
Activities funded
- First aid training for workers in an establishment.
- First aid training for workers on a construction site.
Eligibility
- The applicant must be an employer with workers in an establishment or on a construction site seeking Workplace First Aid training for workers.
- The training project must involve first aid courses for workers in the workplace.
- The number of workers whose training is subsidized must fall within the CNESST percentage set for the applicant’s sector of activity.
- The subsidized first aid courses must be within the 3-year validity period used by CNESST to calculate eligible subsidized training (including courses previously paid for in the past 3 years).
Who is eligible?
- Mining establishments (excluding quarries)
- Forestry establishments (excluding sawmills)
- Silviculture businesses
- Construction companies / construction sites
- Other workplaces with workers in an establishment (sector-based percentage applies)
Eligible expenses
- First aid training course fees for eligible workers (paid by CNESST to the training provider, up to the subsidized percentage for the sector).
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs to set up and maintain first aid services in each establishment
- Costs related to the worker’s absence while taking the course (e.g., wages/time away from work)
- Worker travel expenses to attend training within a 40 km radius of their regular workplace
- Training fees for first aid courses beyond the number of workers whose training is subsidized
Eligible geographic areas
- Quebec (CNESST – Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail).
Processing and Agreement
- If approved, the CNESST pays the subsidy directly to the training provider, according to the contract’s terms and conditions.
Additional information
- The number of CNESST-subsidized first aid courses for an establishment is valid for 3 years; prior CNESST-paid courses in the last 3 years are included in the calculation.
- If some workers already hold a valid first aid certificate (completed within the past 3 years), this reduces the number of additional workers whose training can be subsidized.
- Sector-based percentages are used to determine how many workers’ training is covered (e.g., 5% for establishments; 10% for construction; 20% for mining, forestry, and silviculture).
- The CNESST offers a related mobile application: “Secourisme en milieu de travail application.”
