Human Resources Institute of Alberta

As an employer, you will be faced with difficult choices during an economic downturn. In order to stay competitive, planning ahead and offering creative responses to external challenges becomes increasingly important.

Having trained, skilled employees is vital for the successful growth of a company. But is it risky to train workers in tougher economic times? How will employers afford training for their employees?

The answer to these questions may be surprising. With help from the Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG), workers have the opportunity to skill up!

The CAJG is an employer-driven program where employers decide on who gets training, what type of training may be needed for potential and existing employees, and who delivers the training. Employers gain skilled workers they need to increase productivity, skills and retention.

Is now the time to train employees?

Absolutely! When business is booming, it’s often difficult to make time for training. In a downturn, this is an opportunity to take stock of what training is needed in your organization and which employees you want to grow and develop. Training staff goes a long way to strengthening your workforce – it leads to more productive, engaged and motivated employees, which is turn helps employers hold on to its talent and reduce turnover. Consider using this time to plan for where you want your workforce to be in the next five years. Have you thought about succession planning?  Now may be your opportunity to train and promote from within.

Who will pay for this?

Employers are expected to cover one-third of the training costs while government contributes two-thirds of to a maximum of $10,000 per trainee.

Who has been using this grant?

A range of employers, big and small, in all industries across Alberta have used this grant – more than $16 million was committed for training last year alone!

What kind of training is eligible?

The grant has been used for different types and levels of training. Get creative! Think about your wish list for the perfect employee. Some examples of typical training include:

·         Leadership

·         Project management

·         Safety (OHS, construction safety, first aid, etc.)

·         Communications/interpersonal skills

·         Public speaking

Where can you find out more?

AlbertaCanada.com/jobgrant

HRIA’s Candidate members are now permitted to use “CHRP Candidate” as a professional title. Previously, Candidate members were not permitted the use of a professional title and were simply referred to as “certification candidates”. This change is effective immediately.

For questions regarding this change, please contact Daniel Boucher at registrar@hria.ca.

Memorandum of Understanding sets stage for SHRM and CCHRA to share advances and align credentials

ALEXANDRIA, VA & TORONTO - JULY 14, 2016 – Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) have agreed to work together on key priorities that affect HR practitioners and the profession across North America and around the world. The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining where and how this collaboration will take place.

“We’re thrilled to be officially collaborating with SHRM,” says Anthony Ariganello, Chief Executive Officer of CCHRA.” “We have been working together very well informally and saw the tremendous potential to expand the possibilities for advancement, so we have put a formal agreement in place that allows us to explore more of the potential for the relationship.”

“As a result of this partnership, we will be more responsive to the members of both organizations by addressing their needs and contributing to the creation of the workplace of tomorrow,” said Henry G. (Hank) Jackson, SHRM’s president and CEO. “It aligns well with our mission to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the practice of human resource management.”

The agreement has identified some of the initial areas where the organizations see value in collaboration. They are: joint research; professional development programs; shared access to some member benefits; information and content sharing; and further alignment and mutual recognition of CCHRA and SHRM credentials and certifications. For human resource practitioners throughout North America, this agreement helps solidify our capacity and commitment to represent the profession throughout Canada and the United States.

Positioning CCHRA in this way is one of the key priorities established by the Board in their 2015 Strategic Plan.  “Last summer we set definitive statements about what we want to achieve on behalf of our members,” said Shannon Railton, Chair CCHRA. “This agreement speaks volumes about our capacity to achieve our goals and the collaborative way in which we intend to do it.”

 “We are pleased to partner with CCHRA and will begin by identifying areas of focus for our research, as well as exploring co-branded program offerings in both markets,” said Brian Dickson, senior vice president -professional development and strategic partnerships. 

Media: For more information, contact Kate Kennedy of SHRM Media Relations at Kate.Kennedy@shrm.org and 703-535-6260 or Sundra Hominik at Sundra.Hominik@shrm.org and 703-535-6272.