COVID-19: Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency Update as of Mar. 27

The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency continues to work hard to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. As a reminder, we are still open for business and you can continue to reach us by phone (1-800-494-5651), email (apprenticeship@novascotia.ca) and through our online transactions at: https://nsapprenticeship.ca/agency/forms-publications#accordion1. 

Although the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency is still processing certification renewals, many of you are having some difficulty submitting your applications for renewal online. Therefore, any certification that expires on March 31, 2020, will be extended until June 30, 2020. For those of you who can submit your application online, please continue to do so through the following link: https://nsapprenticeship.ca/agency/forms-publications#accordion1.

For those of you who are impacted by the deferral of training and examinations, we are continuing to review possible solutions. You will be contacted directly once decisions on your training or examination have been made.

For apprentices who receive Canada Apprenticeship Loans, the Government of Canada recently announced its plan to pause the repayment of Canada Apprentice Loans until September 30, 2020, with no accrual of interest. Apprentices do not need to apply for the repayment pause. For more information, follow the link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html.

To our employer partners, we continue to process START payments. The Government of Nova Scotia has also announced support for those of you who are negatively impacted by the global pandemic, which can be found here: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/#support.

If you find yourself having some extra time, consider taking our new 2-hour NSAA: Orientation Program for New Apprentices which offers an introduction to essential information about the apprenticeship system in Nova Scotia.