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New Training Program Available to Help Increase Income for Alberta Farm Families | |
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A farm family member is eligible to participate in CASS if there is a net family income of less than $45,000 (based on three-year average for established producers, corporations, cooperatives or other farm group enterprise, or based on a one-year average for beginning farmers) and he or she has been out of school for two years and is not receiving Employment Insurance Part II funding for training. Farm families with a net family income exceeds $45,000 are still eligible for assistance in developing an Individual Learning Plan.
In addition, one of the following requirements must be met:
- He or she is an established producer with gross farm sales of at least $10,000 per year OR owns a 20% share of a farm corporation, cooperative or other farm group enterprise with $10,000 annual gross farm sales;
- He or she is a beginning farmer (a beginning farmer is someone who intends to establish a farm, or has already owned/operated a farm for less than six years and has existing or projected gross annual farm sales of $10,000 or more.
Today’s successful farm family is engaged in life-long learning as it works to compete successfully and keep up with changing markets and new technology. CASS has been designed to provide both financial and practical assistance to get farmers (and their spouses) on learning programs.
The CASS program offers an assessment to help clients identify existing strengths and skills. The assessment is followed by the development of an individual learning plan. The client can choose courses in areas such as farm business management, accounting, finance and human resource management or ones that will prepare them for other types of employment such as a nurse, mechanic, dental assistant, engineer, office administrator – the list is endless. Farm families will now be better able to get training to improve their farming practices, take advantage of other business opportunities, or obtain off-farm employment. Training may be formal such as college courses, or it may be more informal like workshops or shorter courses.
The CASS program is a partnership between Alberta Human Resources and Employment (AHRE), Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It is delivered throughout Alberta from AHRE offices in: Grande Prairie, Peace River, Edson, St. Paul, Westlock, Barrhead, Camrose, Vermilion, Red Deer, Airdrie, High River, and Lethbridge (see sidebar for contact information).
More information about CASS and other renewal programs can be found at www.agric.gov.ab.ca (search for Renewal Services) or at www.agr.gc.ca/renewal. Anyone interested in applying may contact the Ag Info Line at 1-866-882-7677, or the Career Information Hotline at 1-800-661-3753 or go to www.gov.ab.ca/hre/cass.
Alberta Human Resources and Employment (AHRE) will deliver the CASS program at the following locations throughout the province:
Northwest
Grande Prairie Canada Alberta Service Centre
100, Towne Centre Mall, 9845 – 99 Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0R3
Phone: 780-538-6241
Fax: 780-538-5237 or 780-538-5394
Peace River Alberta Service Centre
Bag 900-15, Midwest Building, 9715–100 Street
Peace River, AB T8S 1T4
Phone: 780-624-6135
Fax: 780-624-6476 or 780-624-6512
Edson Canada Alberta Service Centre
1st Floor, Provincial Building, 11 – 54 Street
Edson, AB T7E 1T2
Phone: 780-723-8317
Fax: 780-723-8344
Northeast
St. Paul Canada Alberta Service Centre
PO Box 309, 5126 – 50 Avenue
St. Paul, AB T0A 3A0
Phone: 780-645-6473
Fax: 780-645-6487
Westlock District Office
Market Mall, 10211 – 100 Street
Westlock, AB T7P 2G5
Phone: 780-349-7700
Fax: 780-349-6168
Barrhead District Office
PO Box 4517
Provincial Building, 6203 – 49 Street
Barrhead, AB T7N 1A4
Phone: 780-674-8345
Fax: 780-674-8226
Central
Camrose Canada Alberta Service Centre
2nd Floor, 4901 – 50 Avenue
Camrose, AB T4V 0S2
Phone: 780-608-2525
Fax: 780-679-1716
Red Deer Canada Alberta Service Centre
3rd Floor, First Red Deer Place
4911 – 51 Street
Red Deer, AB T4N 6V4
Phone: 403-340-5353
Fax: 403-340-7086 or 403-340-5110
Vermillion Alberta Service Centre
PO Box 25, Provincial Building,
4701 – 52 Street
Vermillion, AB T9X 1J9
Phone: 780-853-8164
Fax: 780-853-8205
Calgary
Highwood
Business Development Corporation
3, 28 – 12 Avenue S.E.
High River, AB T1V 1T2
Phone: 780-652-3700 (cannot use 310-0000 to access this office)
Fax: 780-652-7022
Calgary Vocational Services Society
Rockyview Employment Services
Bay 9, 400 Main Street North
Airdrie, AB T4B 2N1
Phone: 403-948-9711 (cannot use 310-0000 to access this office)
Fax: 403-948-9715
Lethbridge Canada Alberta Service Centre
Mail Bag 3014 Provincial Building
200 – 5 Avenue South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 4L1
Phone: 403-380-2272
Fax: 403-382-3160 or 403-381-5668
The table below indicates the various levels of assistance available through the Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS). The following figures are based on three-year average net family income (or one-year for beginning farmers). All financial benefits under CASS are taxable.
| Maximum benefit level |
Participant Type | Net Income* | Assessment | Learning Plan | Assistance |
All | $0 – $35,000 | Yes | Yes | Up to $16,000 |
All | $35,000 - $40,000 | Yes | Yes | Up to $12,000 |
All | $40,001 - $45,000 | Yes | Yes | Up to $8,000 |
New farmer/spouse | $45,001 – greater | Yes | Yes | Not eligible |
Producer/spouse, Member of a corporation, partnership, cooperative or other association | $45,001 or greater | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
*Net Income or net family income is from line 236 of your Notice of Assessment (T451-E).
The contents of this page are no longer available.
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Wendy McCormick.
This information published to the web on December 8, 2005.
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