Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS)

The Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) is a program aimed at helping Alberta farmers and their spouses develop skills to improve farm practices and increase their off-farm income. The program will make up to $13 million available to Alberta farmers and their families over the next three years to help cover the costs of training, books and course fees.

The goal of the CASS program is to help new and established farm families improve their income by developing new skills in an increasingly complex business environment, and capture new opportunities in agriculture. It will be delivered in partnership between Alberta Employment and Immigration, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Farm families will now be better able to get training to improve their farming practices, take advantage of other business opportunities, or obtain off-farm employment. This may include formal training such as college courses or more informal training like workshops or shorter courses.

More information about this and other renewal programs can be found at http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/bmi9351 or at www.agr.gc.ca/renewal. Anyone interested in applying may contact the Ag Info Line at 1-866-882-7677, or the Career Information Hotline at 1-800-661-3753.