Someone at your company is already doing your design work■ Train them to do it properly■
The Red Five Academy Graphic Design Accelerator turns your make-do designer into a trained one — live, online, on evenings, so you don’t lose a single working hour. And the B.C. Employer Training Grant may reimburse up to 80% of the cost. Tuition $3,950 — your net cost could be $790.
Cohort One·Classes start September 15·Grant applications must be in before training starts
Design Keeps Landing on Somebody’s Desk
The social posts, the sales sheets, the trade-show banner, the pitch deck — they’re getting made either way. Right now they’re made by whoever’s closest: improvised in Canva, inconsistent with your brand, slow, and sent out the door with fingers crossed. Hiring a designer is expensive. Sending every small job to an agency is slower and more expensive. The third option: train the person you already have and already trust. In three months they go from making-do to working like a professional designer — strategy, brand systems, production, and an AI-assisted workflow that makes them faster.
The Province built a grant for exactly this. Here’s the math.
Here’s the Math
Up to $10,000 per employee per year, up to $300,000 per employer. This is not a loan — it’s a reimbursement grant. Eligibility and approval are determined by the Province of B.C.
Four Steps to 80% Back
Check you qualify.
Operating in B.C. for at least a year? You almost certainly do. (Checklist below.)
Apply online.
One application on the government’s Skills Training Grants portal, before training starts September 15. About 30–60 minutes — and the Grant Kit gives you every document you need.
Pay and get reimbursed.
Once approved, pay tuition, submit the receipt, and the Province pays back 80%.
Your designer gets trained.
Three months, live, taught by a working agency owner. You file one short completion report at the end.
Do You Qualify? Probably■
- ✓You operate in British Columbia
- ✓Your business is at least one year old
- ✓You have (or can get) a free Business BCeID account
- ✓You’re in good standing with the Province
- ✓The trainee is an employee, a new hire — or you
Self-employed? You count.
Freelancers and sole proprietors are eligible employers under this program. You can claim the grant for your own training — yes, really.
What They’ll Learn
The Graphic Design Accelerator is a live, three-month program — 16 classes, maximum 15 students — taught personally by an agency owner with over 20 years in the industry. Strategy, client skills, professional software workflows (Adobe, Figma or Canva — their choice), AI-augmented design, presentation and production: the skills your business actually uses. No recorded lectures. Real briefs, real critique, real work.
Classes run Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:00–8:30pm Pacific — your employee trains on their own time, not on yours. Not one working hour lost.
Twenty Minutes, Straight Answers
Book a 20-minute call with Michael Marsland-Root — the agency owner who teaches every class. Bring your questions about the program, the grant, or whether your make-do designer is a fit. No pitch deck, no pressure — you’re deciding whether this works for your business.
Book an Employer CallPrefer to read first? Grab the Grant Kit below — it answers most questions.
Grant Kit
The 80% Grant Kit
Everything you need to claim the grant, in one document. We did the homework so you don’t have to.
- The whole program explained in 30 seconds
- A five-step application walkthrough and eligibility checklist
- Submission-ready supporting documents — course outline, provider profile, learning outcomes and cost summary, formatted for direct use in your government application
No email required. Print it, forward it, attach it.
Employer FAQ
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No. It’s a cost-sharing grant — the Province reimburses 80% of tuition after you pay. Nothing is repaid.
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No. Classes run Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:00–8:30pm Pacific, with 4–5 hours of practice work per week outside class. The training happens around the workday, not during it.
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No — the Province requires employers to apply directly through their own Business BCeID. But the Grant Kit walks you through every step, and we’re glad to help you prepare.
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Before training starts. Cohort One begins September 15, 2026, and grant budgets are limited each fiscal year — apply early.
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No. The employer must pay all training costs directly. Participants cannot pay any portion.
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Eligible. The grant covers training for unemployed people you intend to hire, as well as current employees.
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The ETG has no pre-approval list — eligibility is confirmed within each employer’s application. The Grant Kit includes our provider profile, course outline and regulatory status, formatted exactly as the application requires.
Train a Designer■ Pay 20%■
Questions? Michael Marsland-Root · [email protected] · 604.338.4218