Employment Insurance (EI) and courses or training programs

Taking training on your own while on EI

As a general rule, to be entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits or fishing benefits, you must show that you are unemployed, able and willing to work and actively looking for suitable employment.

If you decide on your own to take training, you must declare your training and prove that you are still able and willing to work and are continuing to look for a job to continue receiving EI benefits.

You must be ready to make arrangements to work if you receive a job offer, and to adjust or cancel your training plans if necessary.

Taking training while on EI with permission from your province/territory or an Indigenous organization

Do you want to take full-time training? You may be able to do this and continue receiving EI benefits. You will need to get permission from your provincial or territorial government. If you are Indigenous, you also have the option of getting permission from an Indigenous organization that provides employment programs in your province or territory.

To find information about other employment programs in your province or territory:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Taking training while on EI with permission from Service Canada

Have you lost your job after several years in the workforce? If so, starting on August 5, 2018, Service Canada may permit you to continue receiving EI benefits while attending a full-time program of your choice provided by an approved educational institution. You must pay for the training yourself.

As of August 5, if Service Canada approves your request, you will not have to be available for work or look for work while at school. You may also be eligible for student financial assistance.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• you must be receiving or be eligible to receive EI regular benefits or fishing benefits
• you must be a long-tenured worker. A long-tenured worker is someone who has:
• received fewer than 36 weeks of EI regular and/or fishing benefits in the last 5 years, and
• paid at least 30% of the maximum EI annual premium in 7 of the last 10 years

To find out if you are considered a long-tenured worker, first apply for Employment Insurance benefits. Then call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218.

• you must choose a program offered by an approved educational institution located in Canada. The institution must be on one of these lists: Designated Educational Institutions or Certified Educational Institutions
• you must be considered a full-time student. Each educational institution decides what is considered a full-time program at their institution

Requesting permission to take full-time training

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can request permission from Service Canada to take full-time training when you apply for benefits.

• call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218, or
• visit a Service Canada Centre

If you are already receiving benefits:

• you can complete the Training Course Information form in your My Service Canada Account

You should request permission before the course or training program start date so you can continue to receive EI benefits.

Service Canada will contact you by phone and by mail to let you know that your request for training has been approved.

As of August 5, 2018, if you are notified that your request has been approved, you will no longer have to be available for or looking for work during training.

Additional information

Starting a course before making a request

If you start attending training before asking for permission, you must still be available and actively looking for work to be entitled to EI benefits. If you weren't available and looking for work in the weeks before you requested permission, you won't receive benefits for those weeks.

Duration of benefits

You may continue to receive benefits after the training is completed if you have not used all the weeks of benefits that you are entitled to. You will need to be available and actively looking for work to remain eligible once the training is completed.

If the training is longer than the number of weeks of EI benefits that you are entitled to receive, you will not receive additional weeks of benefits to cover the entire length of the training.

If you withdraw or are expelled from training

If you received permission to take training and then with good cause you quit or stop attending, you will continue to receive EI benefits. However, you will need to be available and actively looking for work to remain eligible.

If you received permission to take training but quit or stop attending without good cause, or you are expelled from the training, you may no longer be eligible to receive EI benefits.

Declaring your participation in a course or a training program

You must declare that you are taking training when you apply for EI benefits, via your profile on your My Service Canada Account (MSCA), directly with an agent on the phone or in person, or when you complete your EI reports online or by phone. It's a good idea to create a MSCA as soon as you receive your EI access code by mail.

If you are taking training on your own or getting permission from Service Canada to take full-time training, you must complete the Training Course Information questionnaire and submit it using MSCA. If you are unable to use MSCA you can also complete the Training Course Information questionnaire and mail or deliver it to your local Service Canada Centre.

An agent will review your training information to ensure that you do not receive benefits to which you are not entitled. If you are requesting permission to take full-time training, Service Canada will contact you by phone and by mail to let you know whether your request to take training has been approved.

Training supports

The Government of Canada provides a wide variety of training supports to individuals who need help to overcome obstacles in the job market.

• Education, training and jobs for Indigenous people
• Skills Boost
• Training
• Youth