TORONTO, ON – IATSE Canada is thrilled to announce that we were awarded $900,000 in training funds from the Ministry of Canadian Heritage, through the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund (CPAWRF). This temporary program was designed to retain Canadian skilled workers by investing in sector-led and delivered initiatives to improve the economic, career, and personal circumstances of independent and self-employed workers in the live performance sector. The training component of the CPAWRF, which terminates on March 30, 2023, aims to improve or stabilize employment levels for workers in the live performance sector.
This funding will enable IATSE local unions across the country to offer training that might otherwise have been beyond their financial means. Because the funding is available to all stage locals, each has the ability to create training based on the needs of that region. The spectrum for eligible training is broad and includes certification courses, specialized training, and general training. In keeping with the mandate from Canadian Heritage, all trainings will be open to IATSE members, permittees, and non-members. The IATSE will be working with locals across Canada to create, promote, and launch courses.
“We have been in regular contact with Canadian Heritage since the outset of the pandemic and they have been extremely responsive to the needs of the industry and its workers,” said John M. Lewis, the IATSE’s Director of Canadian Affairs. “The live performance sector was hit extremely hard, and its recovery has been uneven. These training funds will play an important role in ensuring that both our members and the next generation of live performance workers have the skills and training necessary to build successful careers. We are grateful to Minister Pablo Rodriguez as well as the officials and staff at Heritage who made this fund a reality.”
For more information, contact:
Krista Hurdon, IATSE International Representative
khurdon@iatse.net
