Canada/Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement
Employment Insurance Act

INTENT

To provide direction and considerations for Authorized Officials when determining eligibility for Feepayer.

Feepayer approval allows an individual with an active, regular Employment Insurance (EI) claim, to continue receiving their EI while attending full time training.

• Seniors, Community and Social Services (SCSS) has the delegated authority to recommend that individuals on EI maintain their EI benefits while attending a full-time training program at their own expense.
• This authority is delegated to SCSS under Section 25 of the EI Act; representatives from the Government of Canada or other Provinces / Territories may refer to Feepayer as a Section 25 referral.

POLICY

The Canada/Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement empowers SCSS to act as a designated authority to recommend that EI recipients maintain their current entitlement to EI benefits while attending a full-time training program at their own expense.

Feepayer approval will not change the length or amount of an EI claim.

Feepayer policy and procedures are not to be used for EI recipients participating in multiple training interventions. Examples of multiple training interventions include but are not limited to; Academic Upgrading followed by Occupational Training, or English as a Second Language followed by Integrated Training.

Individuals provided with Feepayer approval are responsible to inform the ministry if there is a change in their training plan.

Eligibility Criteria

Individual Eligibility

To be eligible for approval as a Feepayer, an individual must:

• Be unemployed at the time of the request, and
• Not be counseled to leave employment to attend a training program as a Feepayer or quit their employment to attend training, and
• Have an active regular EI claim with a start date before the start of training, and
• Have applied for Feepayer before their training program begins, and
• Be legally entitled to work and study in Canada, and
• Participate in an assessment to determine eligibility for Feepayer, and
• Lack the marketable skills needed for employment, and
• Have established a realistic and achievable goal, and
• Be enrolled in an approved training program (as defined in Training Program Eligibility below) that will provide the new or additional occupational skills or English language proficiency required, and
• Intend to seek employment immediately following program completion, and
• Demonstrate that if approved, they have the financial resources required to cover their living expenses for the period of training in addition to all training program costs (tuition, fees, books and supplies etc.), and
• Be willing to make the commitment and investment needed to successfully complete training, and
• Have read the consent/declaration and provided all required information for the Feepayer application.

Note: Individuals receiving EI Special benefits (i.e. Maternity, Parental or Sickness) are not eligible.

Note: Student loans can be accepted as part of the individual’s financial resources.

Being unemployed, in and of itself, is not considered to be sufficient rationale to approve an individual for Feepayer.

Training Program Eligibility

An Authorized Official must be satisfied that the program the individual has chosen is appropriate for the individual and is recognized by industry. To be approved a training program must:

• Be Full-time training (normally, full-time training as defined by each institution or training provider is acceptable or approximately 25 hours a week), and
• Lead directly to employment, and
• Within 1 year (12 months) of the training start date, result in a recognized credential or demonstrate improved language proficiency as evidenced by increased Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) levels in all competency areas, and 
• Be delivered by classroom or synchronous e-learning. Synchronous e-learning involves real-time learner/teacher interaction, via the Internet, between a learner and an instructor who are physically separated from each other.
  

If a training program has not been approved or recognized by Advanced Education, an acceptable "Feepayer" curriculum will meet the following criteria:

• The training program is offered by a recognized institution or organization, and
• There is evidence that the industry, sector, or employer community recognizes the skills training offered, and
• The training program will enhance the employment skills and abilities of the participant, and
• There is labour market need for the skills obtained.
  
  

Review of Decision

Individuals wishing to appeal a Feepayer decision should follow the process in the Review of Decisions for CEIS Programs and Services policy.

Forms:

• Training and Employment Service Request form (EMP0016)

Related Policies

Assessments
Review of Decisions for CEIS Programs and Services