Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Operating Manual

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Section 144 - Services and Supports - Educational Training

Purpose

Achievement of a vocational goal may require participation in formal educational programs at universities, community colleges, private vocational schools, or private academic or language schools. Appendix IV provides a list of approved educational institutions authorized to operate in Manitoba. Prior to approval, it must be demonstrated that:

1. the proposed educational/training program has a clear and direct link to a realistic and attainable vocational goal; and
2. upon completion of the educational/training program there is a reasonable likelihood of employment based upon current labour market analysis.

Administration of the Educational Training Component

The Educational Training component of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is administered within the following operating policies:

1. Vocational Counsellors must work in collaboration with the participant to ensure the educational plan is realistic and achievable and is supported by current labour market analysis prior to making any request for educational funding (see Section 33 and Section 66.)
2. All Individual Vocational Plans which identify Educational Funding and/or related support costs must have clearly documented supporting rationale showing how it has been demonstrated that the participant's goal is both realistic and attainable.
3. A vocational goal requiring post-secondary training is realistic if it has been demonstrated that the participant has both the personal suitability for the field of work they will ultimately be pursuing and the academic capacity to succeed in the post-secondary training required. Personal suitability can be demonstrated from a combination of prior work/volunteer experience and/or formal assessment. Similarly, academic capacity can be demonstrated through prior education (such as high school or previous post-secondary education) or formal academic assessment.
4. A vocational goal, once determined to be realistic, is attainable if there is at least favourable labour market demand in the field of work the client will ultimately be pursuing. The Government of Canada maintains a website with local, regional, and national labour market information that serves as an excellent career planning tool for both Vocational Counsellors and their clients. See www.jobbank.gc.ca/explorecareers
5. The Individual Vocational Plan Form itself is not required to be attached to the funding request but must be maintained on the client file as evidence of an agreement between Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities and the client.
6. The funding request, when submitted, must clearly address the issues noted in points 1 to 4 above.
7. The Vocational Counsellor should have copies of letters of acceptance or mark statements/transcripts showing progress prior to submitting requests for funding.
8. Although attendance in educational programs is normally on a full-time basis, the Vocational Counsellor may request approval for the participant to attend on a part-time basis.
9. When arranging for part-time attendance, careful planning must take place with regard to course and subject selection to ensure that, if the participant enrolls on a part-time basis, they may continue part-time in the future. Consideration should also be given to possible future implications of funding from other sources such as Student Aid, Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, or Manitoba Jobs and Skills Development Centres as these sources may only fund if the person is in full-time attendance.
10. Funding requests for part-time courses must specify the number of credits required for a program (for instance, 10 courses to complete the certificate), the number of credits completed to date, the number of credits remaining, and the number of classes per week the participant will be attending.
11. When requesting funding for part-time attendance, a rationale must be provided that demonstrates the participant’s need for part-time training. A rationale must also be provided detailing the other actions or activities the participant is undertaking to lead to employment. This may include volunteer work, where the action plan is a developmental plan leading to employment.
12. Participants who fail an educational program and wish to re-attempt the same educational program must demonstrate that the barrier or issue that caused the failure has been addressed prior to being considered for funding in a second attempt of the previously funded educational program.
13. Participants who have previously failed an educational program and who are seeking further educational funding for a different vocational goal must explore the reason(s) for the previous failure and work with the Vocational Counsellor to consider new or updated academic supports with the goal of success in the educational program.
    
    Participants with two or more funded attempts at an educational plan may apply for further educational funding, but will receive the lowest priority for funding in the event of the need to establish an educational funding wait list.
14. Participants who fail a course within an academic program may be funded for the course a second time provided the reason for the initial failure has been explored and addressed. Prior to funding the course a second time, consideration should be given to providing academic supports, not previously in place, which may have prevented the initial failure. Participants who fail a course a second time will be responsible for covering the cost of the course should they decide to enroll for a third time. Funding for a course for a third time may be provided in exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the Program.

Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities

1. Participants must be advised that for post-secondary programs and disability-related costs in excess of $500.00, they are required to make application to Student Financial Assistance for a Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities.
2. Written notification must be provided to the participant advising that, in cases where the participant is being funded through the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Fund and receives a Canada Student Grant for the same disability-related services and/or equipment, the participant must reimburse Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities for funds received through the Individualized Training Fund and that the participant will be responsible for any remaining disability-related costs for which the Canada Student Grant was awarded.

Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities

1. Students with qualifying permanent disabilities applying and eligible for a Canada Student Loan are automatically assessed for eligibility for the Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities. $2,000.00 per academic year (August 1 to July 31).
2. This grant is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the participant continues to meet the eligibility criteria.
3. Participants should be strongly encouraged to apply for a Canada Student Loan (whether they decide to enter into a loan agreement or not) as they may be eligible for this and a variety of other non-repayable grants.

1. Funding priorities for educational training may be established by Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities. If or when budgetary restraints require, Vocational Counsellors will be advised that educational funding requests are no longer being accepted and will also be advised if the budgetary restraints allow for further funding requests to be submitted later in that fiscal year.
2. Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities participants requiring post-secondary training will need to be advised in writing by the Vocational Counsellors of the status of their request for educational funding accordingly.

1. If personal suitability for a vocational goal has not yet been established or when budgetary restraints do not allow Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities to provide a participant with educational funding, the Vocational Counsellor should work with the participant to help them obtain employment.
2. The plan to obtain work will not negatively affect the participant's educational plan. It is anticipated that work experiences, volunteer placements or employment will be related to the vocational choice outlined in the educational plan.

The Individualized Training Fund may pay for one application fee, tuition, books, course-related supplies, safety equipment, transportation, and incidental expenses for an approved employment plan. All costs must be approved. Non-essential item requests may be rejected following consultation with the Vocational Counsellor and, where appropriate, with the participant.

The following criteria apply to funding of tuition, books and supplies:

1. It is the responsibility of the participant and Vocational Counsellor to explore eligibility for funding from all other sources as per Section 22. In situations where all costs are not covered by one funding source, cost sharing arrangements will be considered.
2. Where the tuition fees exceed $5,000.00 and the course or a similar one is available at a community college within the same community and the higher cost course does not provide any additional disability-related services or the rationale is not disability-related, Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities shall require the individual to apply to the community college and, if necessary, wait for up to one complete academic year before approval will be granted for the higher cost course.
3. If the participant is willing to pay part of the costs, Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Funds may be approved up to the tuition fee structure of the community college.
4. Supporting documentation will be required from the training institution identifying the cost for tuition and books and should be submitted with the application. However, these attachments are not required for courses requested from community colleges and universities in Manitoba.
5. An itemized list is required as part of the approval process in issuing funding for supplies. In exceptional circumstances where the itemized list is not available until after the course start date, approval for supplies may be granted up to $500.00. Priority for approval will be given to consumable and disability-related supplies. Supplies must be specific or unique to the particular course of study the participant is taking and does not include basic supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, recordable media or routine photocopying. The supplies purchased should be the most economical alternative available. The purchase of items, which have a long-term asset value, will only be considered where alternative resources are not available. Time limited rental or lease arrangements for the duration of the training will also be considered.

The following criteria apply to funding transportation, parking, and incidental expenses:

1. Transportation, parking fees, and incidental expenses are not an entitlement. Vocational Counsellors must establish a need in order to request funding for regular public or private transportation services, parking and/or incidentals expenses to support an educational plan. (In establishing a need factors such as distance from the centre, alternative transportation such as car pooling, family support, or support from other resources should be considered.)
2. In situations where Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is unable to approve funding for tuition and books for any vocational or post-secondary educational/skills-training program; transportation assistance may be requested/approved if it is disability-related, not regular transit or private vehicle services, and is otherwise in support of a realistic and achievable vocational goal.
3. In situations where the participant has funding from other government programs/ services to support their post-secondary educational plan and there remains a funding shortfall Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities will consider a funding partnership on a case-by-case basis provided program funding resources are available. In these cases; if the funding from other sources does not include transportation, parking, and or incidentals, Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities may consider funding approval for part or all of these costs within the limits normally approved when Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is the primary or only funding source.

See Section 166.5 for general guidelines and principles for transportation assistance.

In setting the annual budget for Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities, there is a sub-allocation of funds for educational training and for disability-related items. Disability-related items may be requested separately or as part of an educational application and, therefore, may be approved without approval of other educational training costs, depending on the availability of funds, provided it has been established that the client's vocational goal is both realistic and achievable.

When a participant receives a financial award such as a scholarship, bursary, or grant that is clearly intended to assist with education related costs and not living expenses, the amount requested from the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Fund for tuition, books, supplies and transportation should be reduced by the amount of the award. Disability-related costs may still be considered for funding. However, when the financial award is in recognition of past achievements with no conditions attached, there is no requirement at this time to reduce the request for Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Fund funding.

Participants enrolled in Educational Training who obtain employment while enrolled in the program will not compromise the levels of approved funding for existing approved time frames. Subsequent applications, however, will be assessed against eligibility criteria at the time of application. Funding from year to year in an academic program is not automatically approved.

Generally, funding for Out of Province training or education is not provided unless it addresses a specific disability-related need. The following criteria or exceptions apply in addition to the purpose and policies applicable to all education requests (that is, the proposed educational/training program has a clear and direct link to a realistic and attainable vocational goal and upon completion of the educational/training program there is a reasonable likelihood of employment based upon current labour market analysis).

1. The participant's disability severely restricts the range of vocational choices and an appropriate vocational goal may be achieved by accessing a course of study or training only available outside of Manitoba.
2. Where an equivalent course of study or training is available in Manitoba but the participant chooses to attend an educational institution where direct disability-related supports are embedded in the educational programming, Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Funds funding shall be limited to tuition, books, essential supplies, and disability-related items up to the maximum equivalent cost of training in Manitoba.
3. Where the individual withdraws from pursuing educational training in Manitoba, for reasons of family relocation, Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Funds funding shall be limited to tuition, books, essential supplies and disability-related items up to the maximum equivalent cost of the training in Manitoba for up to one year wherein the participant needs time to establish eligibility for funding in another province.

In the case of either 2 or 3 above, long distance travel will not be approved.

There are many different situations which cannot be reflected in a general policy. Therefore, each application for training beyond the first degree/diploma will be reviewed on its own merits.

However, current and future employability will be critical factors in the assessment or review of these applications. It will also be necessary to differentiate between employability and available employment. The program will assist participants to be employable but will not carry that responsibility through to further training when the labour market does not have immediate opportunities for a person's existing work skills.

Continuation of training to become employable in another occupational field is not a feature of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities. If the Vocational Counsellor or the Program is of the opinion that the participant is employable, funding for a subsequent degree/diploma will not be approved.

The following general principles apply to educational training involving more than one degree/diploma:

1. Educational Training may be funded up to the minimum level required for entry into an occupation that may lead to the achievement of the vocational goal and access to related employment.
2. In situations where Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Vocational Training funds were provided during the attainment of a first degree or diploma, and the participant wishes to continue for a second or subsequent degree/diploma which is not an occupational requirement for the vocational goal, but will enhance the opportunities for employment, the program will consider funding the disability-related costs only.
3. The participant may be assisted to attain one additional degree in situations where:
   1. the participant obtained a first degree or diploma without the assistance of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Funds; or
   2. the original degree or diploma is no longer recognized in the labour market and/or related employment skills cannot be used because of the disability.

All education requests beyond the first diploma or degree require approval by the Program.

Each year, the department will establish deadline dates for Educational Training applications. The deadline dates reflect the main intake cycles for educational institutions. Applications received after the deadline date will only be considered if surplus funds are available.

For vocational planning purposes, the participant should be advised that the maximum timeframe that Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities will support an individual to obtain a community college certificate or diploma is four years and to obtain a university degree is six years. Any extensions will require justification on the basis of disability-related reasons.

Multi-year certificate programs offered through Continuing Education Divisions of colleges and universities will only be considered for individuals who are participating in related paid or unpaid activities during the same timeframe.

Pending the status of the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities budget, it may be necessary to prioritize approval of funding requests where post-secondary educational training is required. The date the funding request is submitted will be used in establishing a waitlist if required.

When budgetary restrictions require, priorities have been established as outlined in the following chart:

Education Priority Codes	Description of Participant and Program
1	Continuing* – full-time and part-time
2	Training in the use of technical equipment
3	Employment and Income Assistance - Disability Benefit recipient - short skills courses which take less than two years to complete and with tuition costs of $5,000.00 or less per year. Participants must be receiving disability benefits from EIA.
4	Courses less than one year in duration with tuition costs of $5,000.00 or less. Specialized skill training less than one year in duration with the focus or outcome being employment.
5	Participants who have not previously received funding from Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities for post-secondary training (including new multi-year plans)
6	Participants with 2 or more funded attempts at an educational plan

* Continuing is defined as individuals who were funded for Educational Training within the last two fiscal years and who are continuing in the same or a similar area of training. Participants receiving funding for courses as part of an Educational Assessment are not considered to be continuing students and are not provided with any additional priority status for educational funding.

Other factors that may also be considered and prioritized include:

1. individuals who are closest to completion of their educational training program;
2. full-time versus part-time studies; and/or
3. situations where only partial funding is requested.

Standards

The following standards apply to educational training and funding:

1. The Individual Vocational Training Plan documents the need for an educational training program as a means of achieving the eventual vocational goal.
2. The Individual Vocational Training Plan and all estimated costs must be approved. Official price quotations from institutions should be on file when the application is submitted for approval.
3. The participant may be supported in educational training to the level necessary to pursue the chosen vocation, provided the vocational goal is realistic and attainable such that upon completion of the educational/training program, there is a reasonable likelihood of employment based upon current labour market analysis.
4. Where the vocational goal changes, the Individual Vocational Training Plan will also have to change and this is generally acceptable. Caution, however, should be exercised to avoid the possibility of supporting a participant in pursuit of purely academic goals.
5. The educational or training institution should be informed about the participant's disability so that instructors are aware of limitations or special needs. Participant's consent is obtained before providing this information or the participant may be assisted to provide information directly to the educational institution.
6. Monitoring student progress is carried out on a regular basis especially within the first month following enrolment. The participant may need support, counselling, or additional specialized services. A participant who is struggling with the workload should be counselled to drop some subjects and/or obtain tutoring or other relevant assistance if appropriate. Consultation is held with educational or training centre staff, including instructors, as part of this process.

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