Employment and Social Development Canada · Grant program
Worker Retention Grant
The program allows employers on Work-sharing to increase access to training and upskilling opportunities so workers can adapt to changing skills requirements and remain resilient in the labour market. The program aims to support workers in receipt of Work-Sharing EI benefits monetarily to participating in training initiatives, thereby enhancing their skills while reducing layoffs.
- Total value
- $304K
- Agreements
- 11
- May 2026 to Jun 2026
- Median agreement
- $17K
- Typical range
- $6,870–$25K
- the middle half of agreements
Federal grants and contributions, agreements starting Jan 2006 to Oct 2026, each counted once at its latest amended value. Source: Treasury Board proactive disclosure, published October 11, 2026.
See every record for this program on the government’s search. How to apply: look up the program on Employment and Social Development Canada’s website.
Who got it
Organizations with the most funding under this program.
| Recipient | Agreements | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bluewrist Inc. | 1 | $93K |
| Peinture Industrielle DJ inc. | 1 | $30K |
| Arch-Tech Design Group Inc. | 1 | $20K |
| Investatech Inc. | 1 | $17K |
| Uni-Tech Windows Mfrs Inc | 1 | $8,408 |
| Fractal Communications Ltd. | 1 | $8,214 |
| Rain Digital Communications Inc. | 1 | $5,525 |
| Decoform Architect Inc. | 1 | $4,768 |
| Brighton Custom Rubber MFG. Ltd. | 1 | $4,450 |
Plus 2 agreements ($112K) to individuals, sole proprietors and recipients this site does not name. They count in every total above. Why
By year
Agreements by the year they started.
| Year | Agreements | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | $304K |
By province
By type of recipient
As the department classified the recipient.
| Recipient type | Agreements | Total |
|---|---|---|
| For-profit organizations | 9 | $290K |
| Not-for-profit organizations and charities | 1 | $8,408 |
| Indigenous recipients | 1 | $4,768 |
Industries funded
Where the department recorded an industry code (NAICS). Most agreements have none.
Latest agreements
| Start | Recipient | What for | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | Peinture Industrielle DJ inc. | Formation excellence opérationnelleGrant | $30,317 |
| Jun 2026 | Fractal Communications Ltd. | Fractal Workforce Resilience: Worker Retention GrantGrant | $8,214 |
| Jun 2026 | Decoform Architect Inc. | Employee Skills Development and Retention InitiativeGrant | $4,768 |
| Jun 2026 | Arch-Tech Design Group Inc. | Work Sharing Employee Training & Retention Program - Arch-Tech Design Group Inc.Grant | $19,667 |
| May 2026 | Uni-Tech Windows Mfrs Inc | Grant | $8,408 |
| May 2026 | Brighton Custom Rubber MFG. Ltd. | Worker Retention Grant OneGrant | $4,450 |
| May 2026 | Rain Digital Communications Inc. | Work Sharing for Rain Digital Communications Inc.Grant | $5,525 |
| May 2026 | Investatech Inc. | Worker Retention and Skills Development Plan for Work-Sharing EmployeesGrant | $17,072 |
| May 2026 | Bluewrist Inc. | Grant | $92,859 |