Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister responsible for the Mauricie region, has announced the allocation of $100 million to implement the Programme actions concertées pour le maintien en emploi (PACME). This program was set up in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and workers. It was created in collaboration with the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail.
The aim of the program is to enable companies to receive subsidies to help cover the costs of training activities and work organization. Eligible training may include digital skills related to telecommuting, best practices related to health issues, organizational communication and know-how enhancement. Companies are encouraged to promote online or distance training, and are required to comply with health and safety regulations in force for such training.
The government is therefore offering to reimburse companies 100% of eligible expenses incurred, such as trainer fees, purchase of materials and human resources management activities, up to a maximum of $100,000.
The wages of workers in training will be reimbursed as follows: up to a maximum of $25 per hour for 25% to 100% of total paid hours. This will be modulated according to the federal government’s emergency assistance for which the company is eligible.
Skills development and work organization
The PACME program takes effect immediately and will run until September 30, 2020. All company projects must be submitted to Services Québec, and those of collective promoters to the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail.
Eligible companies and organizations include those with employees, non-profit organizations, community organizations and social economy enterprises. Collective promoters such as sector-based workforce committees may also submit applications under the program.
The $100 million budget comes in equal parts from the Fonds de développement du marché du travail pour les entreprises, which is the responsibility of the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, and the Fonds de développement et de reconnaissance des compétences de la main-d’œuvre pour les promoteurs collectifs, which is the responsibility of the Commission.
Highlights :
- For details on the PACME program and eligibility requirements, please visit quebec.ca/coronavirus.
- An inventory of online training courses will soon be available on the quebec.ca website.
- On March 11, the Prime Minister announced the creation of an economic vigilance team, chaired by Finance Minister Eric Girard, to study various measures to deal with the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- For further information, please call 1 877 644-4545.
- For more information on the coronavirus, please visit quebec.ca/coronavirus.
