What a training grant typically is
Training grants are public programs that may reimburse a portion of training costs for eligible employers. In British Columbia, the best-known program is the B.C. Employer Training Grant (BC ETG), administered by the Province of British Columbia. Other provinces have their own workforce development programs. Each program has its own eligibility criteria, priority rules, reimbursement levels, deadlines, and application process — and these can change.
What the employer is responsible for
The employer is the applicant. That means:
- The employer reviews the program rules and eligibility.
- The employer prepares and submits the application.
- The employer keeps internal records that the program requires.
- The employer interacts with the program administrator about decisions, audits, and reimbursement.
Training providers are not the applicant. A provider can supply training and documentation, but cannot substitute for the employer in the application.
What a training provider can typically prepare
A training provider can typically prepare:
- A clear course outline with topic, hours, weeks, and module names
- Training objectives written around employee skill development
- Learning outcomes — what participants can do after training
- Curriculum / module descriptions
- Delivery format options (live online, private cohort, onsite, hybrid)
- Instructor background and relevant experience
- A tuition quote
- Attendance tracking and completion documentation policy
This information helps an employer plan team training responsibly, and may also be useful when the employer is preparing their own funding application.
What a training provider should not do
A responsible training provider should not:
- Submit applications on behalf of the employer
- Log into the employer's program account
- Promise approval or reimbursement
- Describe itself as a "government partner" or "official provider" unless it is genuinely accredited and can verify that claim
- Promise specific funding amounts
If a provider offers to "handle the grant for you" or promises specific outcomes, that is a signal to slow down and reread the program rules directly.
See our BC Employer Training Grant Resource for a planning checklist and links to official sources.
How to plan training around a possible funding conversation
A practical sequence usually looks like this:
- Scope the team training plan first. Roles, workflows, modules, format, hours, completion documentation.
- Read the official program pages. Eligibility, deadlines, priority rules, reimbursement levels, application steps.
- Decide internally whether to apply. The employer reviews their own situation against the program rules.
- Prepare the application using accurate provider information. Course outline, objectives, hours, instructor background, tuition quote, completion documentation.
- Submit through official channels. The employer applies directly through the program's official application process.
Plan team training because the training is useful for the team. Treat any funding as a secondary consideration that the employer reviews and decides on independently.
Where to check official rules
Always confirm program details on the official program pages, not on third-party summaries (including this article). For BC employers, that means the Government of British Columbia and WorkBC pages for the B.C. Employer Training Grant. Links are listed on our BC Employer Training Grant Resource page.
A note on language
We deliberately avoid words like "guaranteed approval," "approved provider" without verification, and "we apply for you." Those terms misrepresent how public funding programs work and can cause real problems for employers who rely on them. Plain, careful language is more useful than confident-sounding promises.