Updated August 2026 · Verified against Government of Ontario / Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development guidelines
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Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ontario / MLITSD

Government of Ontario / Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Maximum Funding
Employer-led applicants may claim a Training Wage Subsidy of up...
Intake is open with no set deadline to apply. Applications are received until...
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Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Advance Payment
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
Co-Funding
55%
Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ontario / MLITSD provides up to Employer-led applicants may claim a Training Wage Subsidy of up to $7,700 per participating employee (55% cost-share, based on a maximum $14,000 total wages per employee); no overall project cap is stated. Helps Ontario employers upskill or reskill workers through training partnerships, covering 55% of training wages through a Training Wage Subsidy. The program covers up to 55% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details

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Program Description

Helps Ontario employers upskill or reskill workers through training partnerships, covering 55% of training wages through a Training Wage Subsidy.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a legal entity authorized to operate in Ontario and have a physical location where business is actively carried on.
  • Employer must be on an active EI Work-Sharing agreement, have workers needing upskilling or reskilling to prevent job loss, or have workforce development needs in high-potential sectors.
  • Must partner with an eligible training provider.
  • Employer must contribute 45% of Training Wage Subsidy costs from its own funds.
  • Participants must meet program age and training-duration requirements.
Provinces
Industries
All
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Hard
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
Employer-led applicants may claim a Training Wage Subsidy of up to $7,700 per participating employee (55% cost-share, based on a maximum $14,000 total wages per employee); no overall project cap is stated
Type
Grant
Level
Provincial
Co-Funding
Up to 55% of eligible costs
Deadline
Intake is open with no set deadline to apply. Applications are received until all program funds are allocated, and are assessed on an ongoing basis.

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ont...

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How to Win

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Insider Tip

Check which of your workers can actually draw the wage subsidy before you build the plan.

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Rejection Pitfalls 8

  • The applicant is not a valid legal entity, or is a private consultant or consultant lobbyist
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Line up a training provider Successful employer recipients must work with an educational institution or other organization equipped to deliver the training: a publicly funded post-secondary institution, a career college registered under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, a district school board, or an Indigenous Institute.

Required Documents 5

A formal training plan setting out daily and weekly training schedules for each participating employee
A projected budget covering Operating Funds, Administrative Costs and participant or employer financial supports

Eligible Expenses 11

Ineligible Expenses 9

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

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Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

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