Hiring Grant – Innovator Skills Initiative Expanded to $10,000

To provincial government has expanded the Innovator Skills Initiative to provide up to $10,000 to help both tech and non-tech employers hire new employees from under-represented groups as long as they are working in a ‘tech role’.   A ‘tech role’  is one that is enabled with technology that requires a level of education, certification, micro credential to perform.

Employers can receive a maximum of one grant of up to $10,000 per candidate to supplement a new employee’s salary, and employers can access up to 10 grants for 10 different employees per year.

Click here to get the full details and access the application process, and read below for a summary of eligibility:

Employer Eligibility

  • Must be one of the following:
    • A B.C.-based tech company or non-profit hiring for a business or tech role
    • A B.C.-based non-tech company or non-profit hiring for a tech role
    • A B.C.-based post-secondary institution hiring for a tech role
    • A B.C.-based local/regional authority or Indigenous community hiring for a tech role

Employee Eligibility

  • Self-identifies as belonging to an under-represented group:
    • Indigenous
    • Black and people of colour
    • 2SLGBTQQIA+
    • Neuro-diverse
    • Persons living with a visible or invisible disability
    • Women
    • Youth from care
    • Non-binary
    • Other
  • Must be eligible to work in B.C.
  • Has completed training or education on or after December 1, 2019, whether at a post-secondary institute or through other recognized pathways.

Job Placement Eligibility

  • Must be at minimum a 4-month period
  • Must start no earlier than June 1, 2021 and end no later than July 15, 2022.
  • Must have a start date no later than March 15, 2022.
  • May be part-time or full-time

Key Dates 

  • Application deadline: March 11, 2022
  • Earliest hire date: June 1, 2021
  • Latest hire start date: March 15, 2022
  • Latest work placement end date: July 15, 2022