What is SPEI?
The Single Parent Employment Initiative (SPEI) is an employment program to give Single Parents a 'leg-up' and get back into the workforce. SPEI supports eligible single parents on income and disability assistance to remove barriers to employment, providing them with the training and supports they need to secure long-term and sustainable employment.
Am I eligible for SPEI?
- Single parents receiving income or disability assistance are eligible to participate in the Single Parent Employment Initiative.
- Single parents who are also receiving income assistance and are NOT employment obligated are eligible to participate.
- To be eligible for funded training programs, individuals must have been on income or disability assistance for three consecutive months.
- If a single parent already has a post-secondary certification but cannot find a job in the field of their training they will work with their WorkBC Employment Counsellor to determine if there are other jobs available in the community and if there is a skills gap, they will develop an action and training plan to address further training.
- Training supported by WorkBC Employment Services may be delivered by either a public training institute or a private training institute registered with the Private Training Institutions Branch.
Single parents eligible to participate in SPEI will go through an assessment with a WorkBC Employment Counsellor to determine the best path to securing a job.
A WorkBC Employment Counsellor will look at aptitude and background, as well as the local job market and work with each individual to map out the supports they need to help them move off of income assistance and find sustainable employment.
Supports for child care and transportation costs will be determined through the individualized assessment for each participant.
Single parents will be asked to apply for the Affordable Child Care Benefit through the Ministry of Children and Family Development in order to access Dependent Care supports.
Single parents on income or disability assistance may be eligible for:
- Up to 12 months of ‘funded’ training (Occupational Skills Training) for an in-demand job; or a paid work experience placement (Wage Subsidy)
- Single parents continue to receive income assistance while they attend training
- Dependent Care costs during training or work placement, and for the first year of employment
- Transportation costs that include mileage if using private vehicle, or public transit costs to and from school
- Exemptions for bursaries, scholarships and grants that are required for the program of study have also been extended to single parents in approved training programs
- A full-suite of Work BC Employment Services such as workshops on resume writing and interview preparation.
Examples of job training you may be eligible for include:
- Early childhood education
- Administration, medical services, construction and trades
- The B.C. 2025 Labour Market Outlook and the Labour Market Navigator can help you with career planning
- Some of the jobs listed may not qualify for funding as they need more than 12 months of training
- Single parents may also be eligible for: work preparation courses; such as Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) or WorkSafeBC training.
What if I don't have a high school diploma?
In addition to the 12 months of Skills Training, clients are eligible for assistance with Academic Upgrading.
If parents share custody of their children, is each parent eligible for SPEI?
Clients who share custody of their children under a Shared Custody Court Order or a Shared Parenting Agreement should both be eligible for SPEI. However, the children will only show as dependents on one parent’s BCEA Case file. For the other parent, they will need to discuss their SPEI eligibility with a Ministry EAW.
Credits:
Created with images by Bruno Nascimento - "Woman and child touching faces" • Benjamin Manley - "I was enjoying a weekday hike with my family at a local park when I took this photo of them at an overlook. I like the way that my son is looking up at my wife. To me it symbolizes how he looks up to her and relies on her for a lot of things during this period of his life. This picture makes me feel grateful for my family and nostalgic at the same time." • Sai De Silva - "Whispers in the street" • Caroline Hernandez - "Father and Daughter" • Picsea - "Story Time with Daddy" • Valeria Zoncoll - "Superman baby flying in the forest" • CDC - "This African-American father was shown in the process of teaching his young daughter how to properly wash her hands at their kitchen sink, briskly rubbing her soapy hands together under fresh running tap water, in order to remove germs, and contaminants, thereby, reducing the spread of pathogens, and the ingestion of environmental chemicals or toxins. Children are taught to recite the Happy Birthday song, during hand washing, allotting enough time to completely clean their hands."