Kenney accepts provinces can’t match Canada Job Grant, seeks solution

FREDERICTON – The federal minister responsible for the Canada Job Grant says he accepts that the provinces don’t have the ability to match Ottawa’s funding under the program and is trying to find a solution.

Jason Kenney, minister of employment and social development, says he can’t go into detail because discussions with the provinces about the program are ongoing, but a recently revised offer reflects the inability of the provinces to match funds.

Kenney says he is cautiously optimistic an agreement can be reached with the provinces before the plan is scheduled to go into effect April 1.

He also says Canadian employers are not spending enough on skills development for workers and he wants them to change that.

Kenney says he’s prepared for the federal government to go it alone on the job grant but Ottawa’s preference is to work with the provinces.

The minister made the comments today after an apprenticeship announcement involving the Atlantic provinces in Fredericton.