Employment Insurance: How do I get retraining?

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Employment Insurance: How do I get retraining?

March 25, 2009 1:22 PM |
By Your Voice

Submitted by J in Calgary

My take: I moved to Calgary in September of 2008 and I found a well-paying job within days of arriving.
January came and I got laid off. I have applied for E.I. benefits, however I did not qualify because I am short on the required hours. At my previous job I was considered a "self-employed" worker, therefore I cannot use those hours towards my claim.

What am I to do? I have to move in with friends at the end of this month because I have run out of money and can't afford my apartment.

I saw on the news earlier today that the government has set aside $500 million dollars to train and re-train those who have been laid off.

How do I benefit from this? I have searched the government website and I have not found any useful information. There is a section that talks about the money but does not explain where to line up for it. It raises a lot of questions.

How do I get training? How do I support myself while I get training? Can the government make it easier for those who don't have enough hours to get E.I.?

I have so many questions and I don't know who to ask. These last two months have been so stressful. I really don't know what the future holds for me now that I can't supplement my income with a little extra help from E.I. benefits. Maybe welfare is in my future. Maybe I will have to file for bankruptcy.

I'm so disheartened.

Do you have tips for J or have information on re-training services in Calgary? Leave your suggestions below.

Comments

Comments (11)

Wilfred Cushnie wrote: Posted: 2009/03/27 at 12:18 PM

Help each other out. Buy Canadian. Support the poor and disadvantaged. Be kind to one another. Support good things in community, family, business.... If you have more than you need then spread it among those who have less than they need. Give tirelessly without expectation of return. Prepair yourself through education, and other means for whatever opportunity may come your way. Use your time meaningfully. Support the good and positive in life and community events. Where have we heard these things before ... ? Don't forget ... Always, unqualified love, generosity, labour, loyalty, kindness, sacrifice.... Now, go and do these things - and finish the story ...

Guest wrote: Posted: 2009/03/28 at 1:18 PM

Try looking on the Province of Alberta's Ministry of Employment and Immigration web page. In BC, federal EI Phase II employment programs were transferred under the responsibility of the provincial government in February. I'm not sure if the same happened in Alberta, but it's worth looking into.

Daniel Coupal wrote: Posted: 2009/03/30 at 10:54 AM

Alberta Employment and Immigration provides funding to eligible individuals (not just those eligible for EI)for training.To determine eligibility call 403-297-6344 in Calgary; or this general number (1-800-222-6485 for Student Funding Assistance).

good luck!

Melanie wrote: Posted: 2009/03/30 at 2:54 PM

My questions exactly. I have the same sort of situation, although I did qualify for EI. I had a great job that I loved, and it paid quite well. Then my contract was not renewed. Luckily I had pro-rated my pay for the 9 month contract over 12 months, and didn't have to claim EI until later.

I have been unable to find anything that pays remotely close to what my old job paid, and I don't have the educational background to qualify for anything; although life and work experiences could make me a good candidate for lots of things, without a degree or diploma I'm considered useless.

I'm 42 and need to go to school to train for something, but can't afford to because I have 4 kids to support too! I need to know that I can qualify for some assistance to get through a 9 month course and still feed my family.

Susan wrote: Posted: 2009/04/01 at 1:21 AM

Go to the MLA for federal and provincial put it in writing and email the primeminister daily thats what i did. Not all is solved but Im getting action

Pee Zee wrote: Posted: 2009/04/02 at 3:04 PM

Do what I have done some 42 years ago. I was married with one child. My wife was not able to work because our child was sick with pneumonia. We just about lost her due to neglegence of daycare. We were just married and had nothing. I was attending full time at SAIT for three years. At that time there was no EI available while I was going to school nor any kind for assistance from government except for student loan. So I applied for student loan. We rented a one bedroom apartment with squeeky bed and apple boxes for end tables. I took any job I could find after school. Washed dishes in restaurants, and construction or whatever was abailable. For three years we could not go out or do anything. No fast food and there were no Foodbanks at that time. We had to watch every penny. During summer months working for $2/hr. and most of the time with two jobs, I was able to save $1000.00 and pay rent,cloths and food. I studies very hard and because my marks were in top 25% of the class the government gave me $800 reduction from my student loan. Finally in the grad year last month of exams we raided my daugthers piggy bank. Ten dollars was all we had to live on for a month just before I was offered a fulltime job with Ministry of Transportation at the airport. I have never been unemployed since. Now I am 69 and retired with good pension and new home which I built myself with no mortgage.

I wish you the best. Remeber any fool can make money. It takes a wise man to know how to spend it.

Todd McLarty wrote: Posted: 2009/05/06 at 7:15 PM

I too am very frustrated. The new Federal Budget specifically put aside money in the Strategic Transition Training Fund to train those that are undeligible for EI. The Provinces have received the money, but they haven't set anything to distribute the money that they have received. I don't know how long they expect unemployed people to last, without income. Basically they have a cheque and don't have very much concern, though they will put on an act that they do. If anyone knows anything about this training money being used to help those that are ineligible for EI, please respond. Thanks Todd

UrbanCowboy wrote: Posted: 2009/05/16 at 12:14 PM

OP,

I've attended 3 of these so called "training information sessions" and will be attending a 4th on June 10th, to determine eligibility. I can tell you that I'm not expecting good news. The last 3 were all a waste of time as they explained that I already have a College Diploma and there's plenty of jobs in Information Technology - which simply isn't true. Employers are not retraining high tech workers, our national training program, for high tech workers was abolished a long time ago, so there's no hope for people like me unless I take on the cost of retraining every few years which will leave me in life-long debt and without a respectful ROI.

It's all political propaganda without a real resolution. It's time for a similar, grass roots movement, as seen in the United States to remove the Bush administration. We have to get rid of the Harper Government through a majority vote or coalition government.

Jim McKay wrote: Posted: 2009/06/16 at 5:17 PM

re. Urban Cowboy/Toronto
You couldn't be more right. When is the last time one took a look a the federal directory only to find that it is full of offices offering pie charts and bar charts, proving what to who. Definitely not the Canadian public, because we already know that our government isn't behind it's people. Face the facts..the economy does collapse within two weeks of announcing there is a problem....we've been lied to for years. I'm only glad that I never took a few million dollar loan only to find that within two weeks our economy has gone sideways. When someone gets in financial difficulty, do they apply for bankruptcy in two weeks? Long and short, there is an EI system in place that doesn't work and government couldn't care less. All the statics and charts on how Canada helps it's citizens is for other countries to look at. Homeless people will tell the real truth which has already been condemned for by the UN.

Shawnna P. wrote: Posted: 2009/07/23 at 5:40 PM

I'm more than half way through a home study course which will enable me to work at my home office when I'm done. This course requires me to travel to other cities to attend the Lab portion of the course which is very expensive. My savings have run out and I am not able to work outside the home to make any income. My doctor says I'm not "sick" enough to claim disability insurance, so I'm stuck. I need about $5000.00 to finish this course and buy some office equipment to start working at home. Is that really too much to ask of the government?

Hannah wrote: Posted: 2009/07/26 at 7:58 PM

I do not qualify for EI or its programs, I do not qualify for income assistance because I reside with a step-brother who works full-time.

I am a mother with one child the government expects me to live off of my step-brother who has no life or savings of his own because he is supporting us.

Welfare has rules in place that if there is any shared food cupboards in the house you are considered "married" to the person that provides the food and therefore ineligible for support.

I feel terrible that my step-brother is sacrificing his life for us - he should be looking for a wife of his own to have the opportunity to have his own children but can't with us in his home. We sadly, can't leave his home without any financial support.

My parents are dead, we were immigrants(I am Caucasian - no 'minority' support exists for me) so I don't know of any other family.

The father of my child has since become severely head injured and is on disability forever and not in our lives due to unpredictable violent outbursts as a result of his injury.

Due to poor choices early in my life, I have no education. The work I did for ten years before I had my child is work that can not be done as a single mother as the hours are sporadic and unpredictable.

I was a home support worker, this work requires you to be available on a moments notice at all hours of the day - not work a single mother can commit to without a good support network. Plus I am not a trained support worker despite my ten+ years experience and the new rules make it impossible to get work without the training.

I fall through all the cracks in this extremely hole ridden system the Canadian/British Columbia government is running.

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