Jobs and Growth Blog

Skills training is a central element of the Economic Action Plan. Canada faces ongoing shortages of skilled tradespeople and other professionals like electricians, carpenters, engineers and more.

There are too many jobs that go unfilled in Canada because employers can’t find workers with the right skills. Meanwhile, there are still too many Canadians looking for work. Training in Canada is not sufficiently aligned to the skills employers need, or to the jobs that are actually available.

By connecting Canadians with available jobs, the Economic Action Plan supports individuals and their families no matter where they live. And by helping businesses in vital sectors find the talent they need, the Economic Action Plan positions Canada’s economy for long-term success.

Economic Action Plan 2013 helps Canadians obtain the skills and training they need to succeed in today’s economy by:

• Creating the Canada Job Grant.
• Creating opportunities for apprentices.
• Supporting job opportunities for all Canadians.

Visit our Skills page to learn more about the initiatives and programs that can help you acquire new skills, get additional training and find new job opportunities.

Under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, Canadians who are caregivers for family members with physical or mental impairments may qualify to receive an additional tax credit of up to $300 for an eligible dependent.

The Family Caregiver tax credit is a non-refundable credit on an amount of $2,000. Eligible caregivers can claim an enhanced (or an additional) amount under one of the following dependency-related credits: Spouse or Common-Law Partner Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Eligible Dependent Credit, the Caregiver Credit or the Infirm Dependant Credit.

Eligible dependents can be any age. Watch the video below to learn how you can claim the Family Caregiver Tax Credit and save up to $300 on your income tax.

The Medical Expense Tax Credit provides support for Canadian caregivers of dependent relatives. These caregivers can claim medical and disability-related costs for financially dependent relatives and spouses without the $10,000 limit that was formerly applied. This ensures that the tax system fully recognizes these expenses.

Get tax savings working for you! For more information, visit www.cra.gc.ca/taxsavings.

Volunteers make up an important part of Canada’s communities. This week is National Volunteer Week, honouring all those who serve their communities.

According to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, almost 85,000 volunteer firefighters protect the lives and property of Canadians living in both urban and rural communities across Canada. The Government values and salutes the courage and commitment of these firefighters.

The Volunteer Firefighters' Tax Credit is available to any volunteer firefighter who serves at least 200 hours per year at one or more fire departments in their community. In 2011, more than 37,000 Canadian volunteer firefighters took advantage of this new tax credit.

Watch the video below to see if you are eligible to claim this tax credit on your 2012 return.

Click here to learn more about the Volunteer Firefighters' Tax Credit or visit
www.cra-arc.gc.ca/firefighter.

Follow us on Twitter and join the conversation by using the hash tag #eap13.

How do you find the most energy efficient products on the market today?  Look for products highlighted as Energy Star’s Most Efficient 2013. 

To identify the “best of the best”, Energy Star has put in place recognition criteria to establish the most energy efficient products each year for select categories. Products that meet these criteria demonstrate efficiency performance that is truly exceptional.  

As with all Energy Star products, those meeting the Energy Star Most Efficient criteria are independently certified to save energy while delivering the features and functionality consumers expect.

This year’s lineup has expanded to 11 eligible product categories-some of which consume almost 50% less energy than their standard counterparts! 

For more information about Energy Star in Canada, click here. 

Visit our Energy Efficiency page to find out other ways you can save energy and money year-round.

For more information on Responsible Resource Development, click here. 

Manufacturers and processors are major contributors to the Canadian economy, employing approximately 1.8 million Canadians in a wide range of industries across the country, including aerospace, automotive, forestry, information and communications technologies, food processing, pharmaceuticals and shipbuilding, among others. Economic Action Plan 2013 helps manufacturers build on this success.

Economic Action Plan 2013 includes initiatives, tax relief and programs designed to strengthen the competitiveness of major manufacturing industries across Canada while encouraging the creation of high-paying jobs and offering support for small and medium-sized businesses.

Innovation is a driving force of change in the world economy. As global competition intensifies, and technology creates inroads to new business lines and processes, fostering a world-class, knowledge-based economy that helps Canadian businesses innovate and build a competitive advantage remains an essential part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

Click here to learn more about the initiatives, programs and services included in Economic Action Plan 2013 that will ensure that Canadian manufacturers and businesses succeed in Canada and abroad.

Canada faces ongoing shortages of skilled tradespeople and other professional occupations like electricians, carpenters, engineers and more.  Meanwhile, there are still too many Canadians looking for work.  Training in Canada is not sufficiently aligned to the skills employers need, or to the jobs that are actually needed. Economic Action Plan 2013 is working to fix that.

Economic Action Plan 2013 can help Canadians get the skills and training they need to succeed in today’s economy through initiatives like the Canada Job Grant, Promoting Education in High-Demand Fields, and Supporting the Use of Apprentices.

Providing the needed skills training to youth will help connect them to jobs and fill the skills shortage. This will create a strong economy to position Canada for success in the global market.  

Click here to learn more on how Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2013 is working to improve skills training and help connect Canadians with jobs.

Economic Action Plan 2013 will be tabled on Thursday, March 21, 2013, at approximately 4 p.m. EDT.

The upcoming budget will focus on economic growth, job creation and returning to a balanced budget by 2015.

Click here to read the news release.

Follow us at @economicplan and watch the EAP website for more details.