NEW TRAINING PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO HELP INCREASE INCOME FOR ALBERTA FARM FAMILIES

EDMONTON, AB, July 20, 2005 - A program aimed at helping farmers and their spouses develop skills to improve farm practices and increase their family income is now available in Alberta.

The Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) program will make up to $12.95 million available to the province of Alberta over the next three years to help cover the costs of training, books and course fees for farmers and their families.

The goal of the CASS program is to help new and established farm families improve their income by developing new skills in an increasingly complex business environment, and capture new opportunities in agriculture. It will be delivered in partnership between Alberta Human Resources and Employment (AHRE), Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

"Our governments are committed to supporting the industry so that it can be more profitable," said Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Andy Mitchell. "By helping our farmers and their spouses increase their family income, we are recognizing their central role in maintaining Canada's worldwide reputation as a strong and healthy agricultural supplier."

"Canadian farms are not run the same way they were 100 years ago," said Doug Horner, Alberta Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. "In the evolving business of agriculture, it is important to have programs like CASS to give Alberta producers the skills they need to compete."

Farm families will now be better able to get training to improve their farming practices, take advantage of other business opportunities, or obtain off-farm employment. This may include formal training such as college courses or more informal training like workshops or shorter courses. The CASS program will be delivered throughout Alberta, from AHRE offices in: Grande Prairie, Peace River, Edson, St. Paul, Westlock, Barrhead, Camrose, Vermilion, Red Deer, Airdrie, High River, and Lethbridge.

"Increasing the access to training for Alberta farm families is key to their continued viability," said Mike Cardinal, Alberta Minister of Human Resources and Employment. "We have a long history of working with the federal government to address local labour market needs. It is good to see this relationship will be extended to assist Alberta farm families."

The CASS program will be available in Alberta until March 2008. More information about this and other renewal programs can be found at www.agric.gov.ab.ca or at www.agr.gc.ca/renewal. Anyone interested in applying may contact the Ag Info Line at 1-866-882-7677, or the Career Information Hotline at 1-800-661-3753 or go to www.gov.ab.ca/hre/cass.

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Media enquiries may be directed to:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
(613) 759-7972
1-866-345-7972

Elizabeth Whiting
Minister Mitchell's office
(613) 759-1059

Jason C. Maloney
Communications
Alberta Human Resources and Employment
(780) 415-6488
www.gov.ab.ca/hre

Alberta Ag Media Line
(780) 422-1005
Dial 310-0000 for toll-free access outside of Edmonton

Backgrounder

CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SKILLS SERVICE (CASS)

The purpose of the CASS program is to help farmers and their spouses increase their family income through improved farm practices or through increased off-farm income.

Benefits:

An assessment and an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) will be developed for all eligible participants.

Training course tuition and related costs are available for both farmers and their spouses. Each participant will be reimbursed as follows:

costs associated with skills and learning activities such as tuition and textbooks.

Eligibility:

Established producers and their spouses with gross farm sales of at least $10,000 per year OR members with at least a 20% share of a farm corporation, cooperative or other farm group enterprise with $10,000 annual gross farm sales are eligible to apply for CASS.

Farm families with a net family income of $45,000 or less are eligible to apply for the CASS program.

Beginning farmers, regardless of family income, will receive a skills assessment and an ILP. A beginning farmer is someone who plans to establish a farm, or who already owns or has operated a farm for less than six years, and can demonstrate the operation will generate annual farm sales of $10,000 or more.

Participants must be out of the school system for at least two years and are not receiving Employment Insurance Part II funding for training.

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