Section 144 - Services and Supports - Educational Training

Purpose

Achievement of a vocational goal may require participation in formal educational programs at universities, community colleges, private vocational schools or private academic or language schools. Appendix V provides a list of approved educational institutions authorized to operate in Manitoba.

Administration of the Educational Training Component

The Educational Training component of the marketAbilities Program is administered within the following operating policies:

Education Requests

1. Vocational Counsellors must work in collaboration with the participant to ensure the educational plan is realistic and achievable prior to making any request for educational funding (see Section 33 and Section 66).
2. All Individualized Vocational Plans which identify Educational Funding and/or related support costs must have form VR-IVP-2006 attached to the funding request unless it has been previously submitted to Service Delivery Support. All approval requests for education should include copies of letters of acceptance and previous approved applications for funding. These documents will support the application and provide a broader view of the overall plan. In instances where this education information is detailed on previous VT applications, it is acceptable to attach a copy of the most recent VT or VR001-2006 Funding Request Form to the present request.
3. Although attendance in educational programs is normally on a full-time basis, the Vocational Counsellor may request approval for the participant to attend on a part-time basis.
4. When arranging for part-time attendance, careful planning must take place with regard to course and subject selection to ensure that, if the participant enrolls on a part-time basis, she/he may continue part-time in the future. Consideration should also be given to possible future implications of funding from other sources such as Student Aid Financial Assistance, Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance or Employment Centres as these sources may only fund if the person is in full-time attendance.
5. When requesting funding for part-time courses (e.g. Continuing Education), the number of credits required (e.g. 10 courses to complete the certificate), the number of credits completed to date, the number of credits still needed to be completed and the number of classes per week the participant will be attending must be specified.
6. When requesting funding for part-time attendance, a rationale must be provided as well as a plan that shows/demonstrates what other actions or activities the participant is undertaking to lead to employment. This may include volunteer work, where the action plan is a developmental plan leading to employment.
7. Participants who have failed an educational program must demonstrate that the barrier or issue that resulted in failure has been addressed prior to being considered for funding in a second attempt, whether they are pursuing the same or a different educational program.
   

Consideration must also be given to providing academic supports, not previously in place, which may have prevented the initial failure.

Participants with two failed funded attempts at an educational program who decide to pursue a subsequent program will be responsible for covering the costs. Further educational support will only be considered in the most exceptional circumstances and would require an Administrative Review. If approved, these plans will receive the lowest priority on the educational wait list.


8. Participants who fail one or more courses within an educational program may be funded for the course(s) a second time provided the reason for the failure has been explored and addressed. Prior to funding the course(s) a second time, consideration must be given to providing the academic supports, not previously in place, which may have prevented the initial failure.
   
   Participants who fail any course(s) a second time and decide to enroll in the course again will be responsible for covering the costs. Further educational support will only be considered in the most exceptional circumstances and would require an Administrative Review.

Canada Study Grants

1. Participants must be advised that for post-secondary programs and disability-related costs in excess of $500.00, they are required to make application to Student Financial Assistance for a Canada Study Grant for the Accommodation of Students with Permanent Disabilities.
2. Written notification must be provided to the participant advising that, in cases where the participant is being funded through the marketAbilities Individualized Training Fund and receives a Canada Study Grant for the same disability related services, the participant must reimburse the marketAbilities Program for funds received through the marketAbilities Individualized Training Fund and that the participant will be responsible for any remaining disability related costs for which the Canada Study Grant was awarded.

Educational Wait List

1. A participant is eligible to be placed on the educational wait list the day the VR-IVP-2006 Form is submitted to Service Delivery Support with a clearly defined educational goal.
2. Vocational Counsellors must notify participants in writing of the decision to place them on or take them off the Educational Wait List.
3. When a participant's date on the education wait list allows for a funding application to be submitted, they must proceed with the educational plan unless there is a legitimate reason the participant is unable to act on his/her plan (disability related concerns, child care issues, participant was not accepted into the course or the course is not currently available).
4. Participants are allowed one opportunity to stay on the educational wait list in situations where they have been approved for funding but cannot proceed with the educational plan for a legitimate reason. In some exceptional circumstances participants may be provided more than one opportunity to remain on the education wait list. Refusal of funding without a legitimate reason will result in the participant being removed from the educational wait list.

Employment While on the Educational Wait List

1. While a participant is on the educational wait list, the Vocational Counsellor should work with the participant to obtain employment.
2. The plan to obtain work will not negatively affect the educational plan but is subject to the limitations described in point "C" above. It is anticipated that work experiences, volunteer placements or employment will be related to the vocational choice outlined in the educational plan.

marketAbilities Individualized Training Fund

The marketAbilities Individualized Training Fund may pay for tuition, books, course-related supplies, safety equipment, transportation and incidental expenses. All costs must be approved. Non-essential item requests may be rejected following consultation with the Vocational Counsellor and, where appropriate, with the participant.

The following criteria apply to funding of tuition, books and supplies:

1. It is the responsibility of the participant and Vocational Counsellor to explore eligibility for funding from all other sources as per Section 22. In situations where all costs are not covered by one funding source, cost sharing arrangements will be considered.
2. Where the tuition fees exceed $5,000.00 and the course or a similar one is available at a community college within the same community and the higher cost course does not provide any additional disability related services or the rationale is not disability related, the Program shall require the individual to apply to the community college and, if necessary, wait for up to one complete academic year before approval will be granted for the higher cost course.
3. If the participant is willing to pay part of the costs, marketAbilities Individualized Training Funds may be approved up to the tuition fee structure of the community college.
4. Supporting documentation will be required from the training institution identifying the cost for tuition and books and should be submitted with the application. However, these attachments are not required for courses requested from community colleges and universities in Manitoba.
5. An itemized list is required as part of the approval process in issuing funding for supplies. In exceptional circumstances where the itemized list is not available until after the course start date, approval for supplies may be granted up to $500.00. Priority for approval will be given to consumable and disability related supplies. Supplies must be specific or unique to the particular course of study the participant is taking and does not include basic pens, pencils, paper, diskettes or routine photocopying. The supplies purchased should be the most economical alternative available. The purchase of items, which have a long-term asset value, will only be considered where alternative resources are not available. Time limited rental or lease arrangements for the duration of the training will also be considered.

The following criteria apply to funding transportation, parking and incidental expenses:

1. Transportation, parking fees, and incidental expenses are not an entitlement. Vocational Counsellors or the Self-Directed applicant must establish a need in order to request funding for regular public or private transportation services, parking and/or incidentals expenses to support an educational plan. (in establishing a need factors such as distance from the centre, alternative transportation such as car pooling, family support or support from other resources should be considered)
2. In situations where the marketAbilities  Program is unable to approve funding for tuition and books for any vocational or post secondary educational / skills training program; transportation assistance may be requested / approved if it is disability related and not regular transit or private vehicle services.
3. In situations where the participant has funding from other government programs/ services to support their post secondary educational plan and there remains a funding shortfall the marketAbilities Program will consider a funding partnership on a case by case basis provided program funding resources are available. In these cases; if the funding from other sources does not include transportation, parking and/or incidentals the marketAbilities Program may consider funding approval for part or all of these costs within the limits normally approved when the marketAbilities  Program is the primary or only funding source.

See Section 166.5 for general guidelines and principles for transportation assistance.

Disability Related Items

In establishing the annual budget for program management, there is a sub-allocation of funds for educational training and for disability related items. Disability related items may be requested separately or as part of an educational application and, therefore, may be approved without approval of other educational training costs, depending on the availability of funds.

Financial Awards from Scholarships or Bursaries

When a participant receives a financial award such as a scholarship or bursary that is clearly intended to go toward further education, the amount requested from the marketAbilities Individualized Training Fund for tuition, books, supplies and transportation should be reduced by the amount of the award. Disability related costs may still be considered for funding. However, when the financial award is in recognition of past achievements and basically has no conditions attached, there is no requirement at this time to reduce the request for marketAbilities Program funding.

Employment during Educational Training

Participants enrolled in Educational Training who obtain employment while enrolled in the program will not compromise the levels of approved funding for existing approved time frames. Subsequent applications, however, will be assessed against eligibility criteria at the time of application. Funding from year to year in an academic program is not automatically approved.

Educational Training - Out Of Province

Generally, funding for Out of Province training or education is not provided unless it addresses a specific disability related need. The following criteria or exceptions apply.

1. An equivalent course of study or training is available in Manitoba but the participant's disability requires specialized and unique supports in order to undertake the course of studies which are only available outside of Manitoba from an educational institution providing direct supports through their educational program to support the disability.
2. Attempts to arrange and coordinate a suitable course of study or training and appropriate supports in Manitoba would result in fragmented and unreliable or partial supports and a resource outside of Manitoba provides a fully coordinated and integrated program of training with appropriate supports built into their program mandate.
3. The participant's disability severely restricts the range of vocational choices and an appropriate vocational goal may be achieved by accessing a course of study or training only available outside of Manitoba.
4. Where the individual withdraws from pursuing educational training in Manitoba for reasons of family relocation, marketAbilities Program funds shall be limited to tuition, books, essential supplies and disability related items, and to a maximum equivalent cost of the training in Manitoba for up to one year where the participant needs time to establish eligibility for funding in another province.

Educational Training beyond First Degree/Diploma

There are many different situations which cannot be reflected in a general policy. Therefore, each application for training beyond the first degree/diploma will be reviewed on its own merits.
However, current and future employability will be critical factors in the assessment or review of these applications. It will also be necessary to differentiate between employable and available employment. The program will assist participants to be employable but will not carry that responsibility through to further training when the labour market does not have immediate opportunities for a person's existing work skills.

Continuation of training to become employable in another occupational field is not a feature of the marketAbilities Program. If the Vocational Counsellor or Service Delivery Support Branch is of the opinion that the participant is employable, funding for a subsequent degree/diploma will not be approved.

The following general principles apply to educational training involving more than one degree/diploma:

1. Educational Training may be funded up to the minimum level required for entry into an occupation that may lead to the achievement of the vocational goal and access related employment/occupation.
2. In situations where Vocational Training funds were provided during the attainment of a first degree or diploma, and the participant wishes to continue for a second or subsequent degree/diploma which is not an occupational requirement for the vocational goal, but will enhance the opportunities for employment, the program will consider funding the disability related costs only.
3. The participant may be assisted to attain one additional degree in situations where:
1. the participant obtained a first degree or diploma without the assistance of marketAbilities Individualized Training Funds; or
2. the original degree or diploma is no longer recognized in the labour market and/or related employment skills cannot be used because of the disability.

All education requests beyond the first diploma or degree require approval from the Service Delivery Support Branch.

Educational Training Deadline Dates

Each year the Service Delivery Support Branch will establish deadline dates for Educational Training applications. The deadline dates reflect the main intake cycles for educational institutions. Applications received after the deadline date will only be considered if surplus funds are available.

Timeframe

For vocational planning purposes with the participant the maximum timeframe the marketAbilities Program will support an individual to obtain a community college certificate or diploma is four years and to obtain a university degree is six years. Any extensions will require justification on the basis of disability-related reasons.

Multi-year certificate programs offered through Continuing Education Divisions of colleges and universities will only be considered for individuals who are participating in related paid or unpaid activities during the same timeframe.

Priorities for Approval

When it is necessary to prioritize approval of educational training applications due to funding limitations within the sub allocated budget for specific categories of training, the wait list date will be used. Wait list dates are generally assigned when the Vocational Counsellor and the applicant agree on a vocational training plan with a specific occupational goal that requires an institutionally based education or training program.

In the case of a Self-Directed Option participant, the application will be considered effective on the date the original request was made.

Priorities have been established as outlined in the following chart:

* Continuing is defined as individuals who were funded for Educational Training within the last two fiscal years and who are continuing in the same or a similar area of training. Participants receiving funding for courses as part of an Educational Assessment are not considered to be continuing students and are not provided with any priority status on the Educational Wait List.

** New from Education Wait List is defined as individuals who were not approved for educational training funds in previous intake cycles and who do not meet criteria for priority 3 or 4 above.
Other factors that may also be considered and prioritized include:

1. individuals who are closest to completion of their educational training program;
2. full-time versus part-time studies;
3. situations where only partial funding is requested; and/or
4. actual wait list date.

Standards

The following standards apply to educational training and funding:

1. The Individual Vocational Training Plan documents the need for an educational training program as a means of achieving the eventual vocational goal.
2. The Individual Vocational Training Plan and all estimated costs must be approved. Official price quotations from institutions should be on file when the application is submitted for approval.
3. The participant may be supported in educational training to the level necessary to access the chosen vocation, provided the vocational goal is feasible and realistic.
4. Where the vocational goal changes, the Individual Vocational Training Plan will also have to change and this is generally acceptable. Caution, however, should be exercised to avoid the possibility of supporting a participant in pursuit of purely academic goals.
5. The educational or training institution should be informed about the participant's disability so that instructors are aware of limitations or special needs. Participant's consent is obtained before providing this information or the participant may be assisted to provide information directly to the educational institution.
6. Monitoring student progress is carried out on a regular basis especially within the first month following enrolment. The participant may need support, counseling, or additional specialized services. A participant who cannot handle the workload should be counseled to drop some subjects. Consultation is held with educational or training centre officials, including instructors, as part of this process.

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