Man. government announces funding for MELT

The grant covers up to two-thirds of the cost of tuition

Employers in the agricultural industry in Manitoba can now apply for grant funding to help employees complete the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT).

People looking to obtain their Class 1 license must be complete MELT. To help with costs around this training, the Government of Manitoba announced funding this week, which representatives from Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) applaud.

“We have advocated since the announcement of the MELT training program that being able to access the training and the cost of the training might be a problem for agriculture. So, we're very gratified to see that the provincial government has acknowledged that and provided great funds so the producers can take the MELT training,” said Bill Campbell, president of KAP.

The grant covers up to two-thirds of the cost of tuition for each employee to a maximum of $50,000 per employer. The employer then must contribute the remaining amount.

The grant covers any training completed between Nov. 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Applications for the grant funding are accepted until Jan. 31, 2021.

Since recent events within the province surrounding public gathering restrictions, KAP representatives hope to see some online options for this training, said Campbell.

“We're looking forward to having more discussion on a possible online component with the classroom teaching,” Campbell told Farms.com.

People can apply for funding and read the full application requirements here.

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