1 Of the 122 applications received and processed in 2019, 49 represent applications received and processed in 2019 and 50 represent applications received and processed in 2018. A further 24 applications that were processed in 2019 have been paid in 2020 as of the date of this report. 2 Of the 44 employees receiving reimbursement, 24 of them took more than 1 course

The process for obtaining educational assistance consists of two elements. Employees must first complete an application requesting educational assistance prior to enrolling in a course of study at a recognized educational institution, upon which time the Executive Director or designate is to determine whether the request is eligible and if so, to indicate the level of assistance approved, based on job relatedness. Upon course completion, employees must submit an application requesting reimbursement of tuition fees, along with proof of successful completion of the course of study and accompanying receipt outlining costs. The figure relative to the unpaid applications, is representative of a number of factors, including requests for reimbursement of tuition fees not yet received and paid, the course of study not yet complete and/or dropped, the course of study cancelled through the educational institution or where the applicant received a failing grade, in which case there is no tuition reimbursement provided under the Educational Assistance Policy.

As part of the Corporation’s transfer agreement with St. Clair College, employees of the Corporation have enjoyed a 70% reduction in tuition costs since 2007. This tuition incentive which was made available for a span of ten (10) years was to conclude in March, 2017, however the discount was extended a further year until March, 2020. At the time of this report, a further renewal was granted to extend the discount until March 31, 2021. The impact of employees taking advantage of this discount, applicable to credited courses under continuing education, is resulting in significant savings to the employer as well as to employees.

The Human Resources Department also receives and processes applications for the Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Program in accordance with all applicable Collective Agreements and/or Memoranda of Understanding with the various Bargaining Units, and guided by the rules and regulations governing Educational Assistance. Anyone approved under the Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Program will be reimbursed appropriately, however funding for this program will be made available through departmental specific training accounts based on the availability of departmental funding. As of the writing of this report:

four (4) employees completed the Construction Craftworker Apprenticeship;  one (1) employee completed the Industrial Electrician Apprenticeship;  two (2) employees are registered in the Truck and Coach Apprenticeship;  one (1) employee is registered in the Automotive Service Technician  Apprenticeship Taking effect July 1, 2017, all reimbursements as they relate to Educational Assistance & Tuition Reimbursement for US Post-Secondary Institutions are paid equal to that in Canadian dollars, hence no exchange rate is to be applied. As such, any difference in the exchange rate is the responsibility of the employee should they choose or need to obtain a course of study in the U.S. While such requests are minimal as most reimbursements are in Canadian funds, this change was the result of substantially higher U.S. tuition costs, a tumbling Canadian dollar and a modest budget. It was important to impose this stipulation in an effort to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of educational funds corporately.