Bargaining unit staff may be eligible to receive professional development funds from the Community Social Services Labour Adjustment and Education Fund (LAEF), which has recently extended its submission period until December 31, 2025. LAEF is a joint initiative of CSSEA and CSSBA, established under Memorandum of Agreement #20, whose purpose is to enhance the skills of frontline community social services workers by providing relevant professional development. It also prioritizes and offers additional support and retraining for employees impacted by layoffs, downsizing, or restructuring so they can continue to be employed in the community social services sector.
Bargaining unit staff who are interested in applying for education funding can find eligibility criteria, answers to commonly asked questions and application forms here. Those who were previously denied funding are also eligible to re-apply.
The following chart illustrates the maximum amount of funding available to applicants for the funding term April 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025. If an individual employee or group of employees applies for and receives less than the maximum amount available, they may submit additional application(s) in the future.
Applications will be reviewed on a regular, ongoing basis by the LAEF Joint Steering Committee based on eligibility criteria and funding amounts set out by CSSEA and CSSBA. If you have any additional questions, please e-mail Joanna May, Consultant, at jmay@cssea.bc.ca