Through the Employment Insurance (EI) system, the Government of Canada provides income support to eligible apprentices during periods of technical training. Policies regarding Employment Insurance while technical training have not changed due to COVID-19.
Apprentices are required to provide complete and accurate information, as requested by Service Canada. For more information, apprentices can call 1-800-206-7218 (in Alberta) or visit Employment Insurance for Apprentices.
To be considered for EI benefits while attending technical training, apprentices apply at the website above as soon as they stop working. If they have applied for, or are receiving EI benefits prior to training, they must complete another application indicating their technical training information.
During the EI application process, apprentices need a Reference Code. The Reference Code for Alberta apprentices can be found in the class registration letter they receive in their MyTradesecrets account following technical training registration.
- To view the letter, they click on the Envelope icon in the top right corner of the screen, then click Classes in the Notification column.
- The class registration letter opens up as a PDF.
- The Reference Code for Alberta Apprentices that is required for your EI application is 2/3 of the way down the body of the letter.