Canadian Agriculture Skills Services Program
Agri-Trend has just finished an assessment of the Canadian Agricultural Skills Support program (CASS), and is making it a priority option in the pre-registration process. Farm clients & non clients alike, who wish to participate, will receive Training & Education Funding that will cover the following:
• Training Tuition (Registration)
• Meal Costs
• Lodging / Hotel costs
• Travel costs (mileage & and or flights)
• Replacement labor costs while attending training
• As well as Child or Dependant care while at training.
• Every other possible expense associated with the training event.
Deadline: March 31, 2009
NOTE: a Learning Plan must be established with a CASS consultant prior to the event to be attended. Click here to find one in your area.
Tomorrow's successful farm families will be engaged in life-long learning as they work to compete successfully and keep up with changing markets and technology.
The Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) program will provide funding to beginning and established farmers and their spouses to develop a learning plan and take courses to help them gain the skills they need to reach their goals. CASS will assist farm families to acquire on-farm skills, or skills and training to pursue other income options, or both.
Find more information about the program and how to apply:
• CASS Overview
• Getting Started
CASS can help Canadian farm families improve farm profitability and their income options through skills development and training. CASS will support training opportunities that will help beginning and established farmers and their spouses to achieve one or more of these goals:
• Improve farm profitability
• Improve the safety and quality of farm food production
• Enhance environmentally responsible production
• Take advantage of new market opportunities resulting from recent scientific research
• Develop off-farm income options
• Earn off-farm income to supplement farm income
Skills development and learning services
Today's successful farm family is engaged in life-long learning as it works to compete successfully and keep up with changing markets and new technology. The Canadian Agricultural Skills Service provides funding and practical assistance to get you and your spouse on a learning program that will lead to increased opportunities for profitability, and provide you with more choices about sources of income.
Participation in the Canadian Agricultural Skills Service involves:
• An assessment to help you identify your strengths and skills.
• The development of an Individual Learning Plan on which you can identify courses in areas such as farm business management, accounting,finance and human resources management, or courses that will prepare you for other types of employment. A consultant will help you decide which courses or workshops would be the most helpful based on your goals.
• Funding to support formal training such as college programs and informal learning activities such as workshops and short courses. The funding covers tuition and fees, course materials, and, if needed, certain other costs associated with the training.
• A consultant available to you for ongoing advice and support while you carry out your learning plan.
You and your spouse/common-law partner may be eligible to participate if:
• You have qualified for a payment under the Canadian Farm Families Options Program (Options), or
• You are an established producer (have farmed for more than six years) either as a sole proprietor or as a member/shareholder of a farm corporation, partnership, cooperative, or other farm entity. Your farm, or the farm entity in which you are actively engaged, has annual gross farm sales of at least $10,000 or
• You are a beginning farmer (you intend to establish a farm or you have already owned or operated a farm for less than six years and have existing or projected gross annual farm sales of $10,000 or more or you intend to become a member/shareholder in an existing farm entity such as a corporation, partnership, cooperative or other association of persons within six years and are actively engaged in the day-to-day farming operations at the time you apply for CASS).
In any of the above cases your net family income must not exceed $45,000* per year, you must have been out of secondary school for at least two years, and you must not be receiving Employment Insurance Part II funding for training.
Getting Started
CASS will assist farm families improve their income by learning skills for on-farm purposes, skills and training that help them pursue other employment options, or both.
If CASS is the right program for you, there are a number of steps to access funding for the training you have chosen:
• Step 1: Establishing Eligibility
• Step 2: Assessment and Individual Learning Plan
• Step 3: Training
• Step 4: Ongoing Support
• Step 5: How to Apply
CASS Link: http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do?id=1176222540186&lang=e
or call Toll-Free 310-0000
