VANCOUVER – The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, and British Columbia (B.C.) Finance Minister Kevin Falcon are pleased to announce the launch of the Trade School Initiative. This educational pilot project was developed to help students become informed tradespersons in the construction and renovation industry.
“Our government believes in equipping the entrepreneurs of tomorrow with the tools they need to succeed. This initiative will help them be fiscally responsible, adopting good business practices as they embark on their career in the trades,” said Minister Shea. “It is important to educate students on their tax entitlements and responsibilities, as well as the pitfalls of participating in the underground economy.”
The initiative provides relevant information on tax credits and financial resources such as the tradesperson’s deduction for tools, the apprenticeship incentive grant, and the apprenticeship completion grant. The information and resource-based Web site TradeLinks.ca also has links to career opportunities, bookkeeping, employee rights, and employer responsibilities.
“It’s not enough just to be skilled at a particular trade; successful entrepreneurs today also need to be financially literate and business savvy,” said B.C. Finance Minister Kevin Falcon. “Tradelinks.ca is an important business and financial tool to help individuals in the trades industry start their own businesses and succeed in their trades.”
The project is being launched initially in British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Other provinces and territories may participate in this initiative in the future.
For more information, go to www.TradeLinks.ca.