Surrey employers squeezed by tariffs and slower orders can now apply for federal help to keep their staff working instead of laying them off. The Workforce Retention and Retraining Program is open for applications, offering eligible employers up to $1,000 per participating employee to help cover training and administration costs, along with income support for workers whose hours are reduced.
Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu announced the launch of the program’s online application form on October 22 in Gatineau, Quebec. The program is part of the $3.5 billion in rapid response supports for workers and employers that Ottawa announced in August, as businesses continue to adapt to tariffs and shifting global trade pressures. Its aim is to help employers retain and retrain skilled workers, adapt to changing market conditions and stay competitive.
Who can apply: the program is open to businesses in every sector that need to transform, retool or diversify in response to tariff disruptions. It is in place from October 2026 until March 2028, and employers can apply now.
What it pays for: employers choose the training that best fits their workplace and workforce. Eligible training includes technical training, digital and foundational skills training, peer-to-peer learning and on-the-job training. The federal contribution of up to $1,000 per participating employee is meant to help cover those training and administration costs.
How it helps workers: employees in the program work reduced hours but keep incomes closer to their normal levels, through a mix of Employment Insurance Work-Sharing benefits and an income top-up for taking part in employer-provided training. Scheduling is more flexible than under standard Work-Sharing, because the requirement that work be shared equally is temporarily removed, so hours can be distributed around operational needs. Employers and employees can also enter into successive agreements, allowing up to 152 cumulative weeks of support.
How to apply: employers apply online through Canada.ca, where the program’s application form sits under the EI Work-Sharing how-to-apply section.
What is changing on EI: alongside the new program, the federal government is extending its temporary Employment Insurance measures by up to one more year. The one-week waiting period for benefits stays waived. Long-tenured workers receive an extra 20 weeks of EI. The rule on monies on separation stays suspended, so workers can receive EI immediately after a job loss even if they also receive separation payments such as severance or vacation pay. A new temporary measure also simplifies the rules on reasons for separation for one year, so workers who recently changed jobs are no longer penalized when they claim EI, as long as their most recent job loss was through no fault of their own.
“This program will help employers keep the skilled people they depend on and give workers the chance to build new skills so they can meet today’s challenges and seize tomorrow’s opportunities,” Hajdu said.
Surrey businesses affected by tariffs can also look at the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, delivered through Canada’s regional development agencies. It helps small and medium-sized businesses address liquidity pressures, strengthen competitiveness and diversify into new markets.
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada news release, October 22, 2026
