Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS)
The Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) can help Canadian farm families improve farm profitability and their income options. CASS provides funding to beginning and established farmers and their spouses to develop a learning plan and take courses to help them gain the skills they need to reach their goals. CASS will assist farm families to acquire skills and training that are consistent with one or more of the following goals:
- Improve farm profitability
- Improve the safety and quality of farm food production
- Enhance environmentally responsible production
- Take advantage of new market opportunities resulting from recent scientific research
- Develop off-farm income options
- Earn off-farm income to supplement farm income
Assessment and Individual Learning Plan (ILP) development services are provided to eligible participants by qualified service providers. The learning plan will map out the participant's goals, and the learning opportunities that have been chosen to meet them. The plan will also outline the financial benefits needed to cover the costs of the included courses or workshops.
An ILP may include learning for skills to improve farm operation, skills for work off the farm, or both. The ILP can cover learning over a period of time - up until the end of the CASS program in March 2008. Participants may revise their ILP and add learning activities to accommodate changing circumstances.
Financial benefits may be available to support eligible learning activities. These benefits may cover incremental costs such as tuition and other instructional costs, materials and supplies, and other additional costs. Supported learning activities fall into three keys areas:
- training in on-farm skill areas to increase farm income;
- training for alternative, off-farm employment to replace farm income; or
- training for alternative business opportunities to supplement farm income.
To help determine your eligibility for the CASS program, please consult the eligibility form on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Web site.
For additional information or to obtain an application form, please choose your province or territory of residence below.
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