Businesses across Ontario now have additional options for investing in their employees, thanks to a new government program that provides funding for workforce training.
Applications are now open for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant program, which provides direct financial support for employers who wish to purchase training for either new or existing employees. Employers choose the individuals they would like to have trained, as well as the training that meets their workforce development needs.
The training is intended for employed individuals acquiring new skills for their current job, or to prepare for another job with the same employer, and for unemployed individuals seeking a new job. The employer must have a job available at the end of the training for the individual being trained.
The program will fund, on average, two-thirds of a worker’s eligible training costs, including tuition and fees, textbooks and materials, to a maximum of $10,000. The final one-third is contributed by the employer.
“The Canada-Ontario Job Grant program will help address existing skills gaps in the workforce and help employers enhance their business success through customized training,” said Sandra Schelling, dean of Continuing Education and Corporate Training at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. “As a result, it will contribute to success and prosperity across our community as well as supporting local employers.”
Training funded through the program must be less than one year in duration, and can be provided through a number of groups, including Ontario’s public colleges, universities and school boards. Consultants from Conestoga’s Corporate Training division are available to support employers through the application process.
Conestoga has partnered with industry and government to support the workplace training needs of the local community for more than 20 years, providing customized training over a broad range of areas, from business and information technology to trades, languages and essential skills training.
For more information, or to contact a training consultant, visit www.conestogac.on.ca/corporate-training/canada-ontario-job-grant.jsp
Support for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant program is provided by the Government of Canada as well as the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities.
For more information on the Canada-Ontario Job Grant program, visit http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/cojg/