Comprehensive guide to 12 workforce training funding programs in Ontario
Businesses in Ontario can access 12 specialized workforce training programs combining federal and provincial funding opportunities.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $25,000
Helps employers create quality work experiences for youth while addressing their human resource needs.
Organization: Government of Ontario
Level: provincial
Amount: Up to $10,000 per employee
Provides direct funding to employers to train their employees. Employers can receive up to $10,000 per person for training costs.
Organization: City of Toronto
Level: municipal
Amount: $5,000 micro-grant
Provides new entrepreneurs with business training, mentoring, and a $5,000 micro-grant to help launch or expand their business.
Organization: Canada Council for the Arts
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports Canadian artists and arts organizations through a variety of grants for creation, production, professional development, touring, and more in arts and culture sectors.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports skills development and employment training for Indigenous peoples through funding agreements with Indigenous service delivery organizations across Canada.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports the development of foundational and transferable skills (like literacy, numeracy, digital skills) for Canadians through funding to organizations that deliver training and upskilling projects.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $2 million
Supports union-based apprenticeship training and innovation in training approaches through project funding, to help more apprentices succeed and modernize training systems.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Addresses workforce challenges in specific economic sectors by funding projects that help connect Canadians with training and jobs in in-demand sectors (e.g., sector-based workforce development projects).
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $7,000 per placement
Supports work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students by providing wage subsidies to employers who create co-op placements in STEM and business fields (e.g., through partner delivery organizations).
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports training and skills development for jobs in the green economy and clean technology sectors, often through wage subsidies for youth in environmental roles (delivered via various partner organizations).
Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $15,000 per participant (wage subsidy)
Provides funding to organizations to create internships that offer underemployed youth training and work experience in digital skills, helping them transition to careers in the digital economy.
Organization: Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)
Level: federal
Amount: Varies (Business Loans)
Offers business loans, mentoring, training, and counseling to Western Canadians with disabilities or health conditions to start or expand a business.
Ontario operates one of Canada's most comprehensive workforce training ecosystems, with programs designed to address three structural labour market challenges: a growing tech skills gap, the automation transition in manufacturing, and a persistent shortage of skilled tradespeople. Understanding the landscape before you apply will help you identify which programs can be stacked and where Employment Ontario fits in as the delivery network.
COJG is the flagship employer-driven training grant in Ontario. It reimburses up to two-thirds of third-party training costs — capped at $10,000 per employee — with small employers (fewer than 100 staff) paying only one-third out of pocket. Larger employers contribute 50%. The grant is demand-driven: employers choose the trainer, the course, and the employee. Applications are processed by Employment Ontario service providers across the province, and funding is available year-round while budgets allow. Common uses include software certifications, manufacturing process training, business management courses, health and safety credentials, and skilled trades upgrading.
The Skills Development Fund is a competitive grant stream targeted at organizations (employers, unions, industry associations, colleges, and community groups) that design innovative training solutions addressing sector-wide or regional workforce gaps. Unlike COJG, which funds individual employers training their own employees, SDF grants support systemic projects — building new training curricula, setting up sector-specific training hubs, or piloting approaches to reach under-represented workers. Award amounts typically range from $100,000 to several million dollars depending on scope. Intake periods are announced by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
The Canada-Wide Labour Pool program connects employers facing acute labour shortages with pre-screened workers from other regions of Canada and provides relocation support. While not a direct training grant, CWLP often works alongside COJG: employers who relocate workers through CWLP can immediately apply for COJG funds to upskill new hires in company-specific processes or local certification requirements. This combination is particularly relevant for Ontario's construction, manufacturing, and hospitality sectors.
Ontario's Second Career program is designed for laid-off workers rather than active employers. It provides funding for longer-term training programs (up to two years) in occupations that are identified as in-demand in Ontario's regional labour markets. Covered costs can include tuition, books, transportation, and living allowances. Applications flow through Employment Ontario offices and are assessed against the individual's employment history, the in-demand status of the target occupation, and the cost-effectiveness of the proposed training. Second Career is a meaningful pipeline for employers as well: graduates re-enter the workforce with current, employer-relevant credentials.
Ontario's Literacy and Basic Skills program, delivered through Employment Ontario's network of community agencies and colleges, helps adults improve their foundational skills — reading, writing, numeracy, digital literacy, and communication. For employers with workers who need foundational upskilling before they can benefit from COJG-funded technical training, LBS provides the on-ramp. LBS is free to participants and fully government-funded; employers can partner with local LBS providers to deliver workplace-embedded literacy programs that build toward formal credentials.
Almost all of Ontario's provincial training programs flow through Employment Ontario — a province-wide network of over 300 service providers including community agencies, colleges, and non-profits. Employment Ontario offices serve as single-access points: they administer COJG applications, screen Second Career applicants, connect workers to LBS programs, and refer employers to SDF intakes. If you're unsure which program fits your situation, starting with your nearest Employment Ontario office is the fastest path to funding clarity. Use the Ontario location finder to find your closest service provider.
Three structural pressures shape why Ontario invests heavily in workforce training:
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides direct funding to employers who purchase training from an eligible third-party trainer. The government covers up to two-thirds of eligible training costs — up to a maximum of $10,000 per trainee — while the employer pays the remaining one-third. For employers with 100 or more staff, the split is 50/50. Training must be delivered by a recognized external trainer; you cannot fund internal trainers or company staff delivering the course. Applications are submitted through Employment Ontario service providers and are processed on a rolling basis.
Eligible COJG expenses include tuition and registration fees for third-party training, required textbooks and course materials, and exam and certification fees directly tied to the training. Ineligible costs include employee wages during training time, travel and accommodation, workplace equipment purchases, and training delivered by the employer's own staff. The training must result in a recognizable skill directly relevant to the employee's current or future role at your business.
Yes. Employers with fewer than 100 employees contribute only one-third of eligible training costs, with the government covering two-thirds (up to $10,000 per trainee). Employers with 100 or more employees share costs equally at 50%. Small and medium employers also have the additional flexibility to apply for COJG on behalf of laid-off workers or new hires — not just existing employees — making it easier to use the grant as part of a hiring and onboarding strategy.
Second Career is for workers who have been laid off — not those who resigned voluntarily. To qualify, you must be an Ontario resident, have been laid off from your last job, and be pursuing training in an occupation that Employment Ontario has identified as in-demand in your region. The program covers tuition, books, transportation, and living costs for training programs up to two years long. Applications are assessed by Employment Ontario service providers, and the level of support depends on individual financial circumstances and local labour market conditions.
Yes, in many cases. COJG can be layered with federal programs provided the same training expense is not double-funded. For example, an employer may use the federal Student Work-Integrated Learning Program (SWILP) wage subsidy to hire a student co-op placement while simultaneously using COJG to fund skills training for existing staff. Similarly, employers can stack COJG with sector-specific programs under the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program. You must disclose all other government funding sources in your COJG application; the Employment Ontario service provider will confirm what is permissible under current stacking rules.
Yes. Employers can use COJG to pay the tuition and fees for the in-school (classroom and lab) portion of a registered apprenticeship program delivered by an Ontario college or recognized training provider. Employee wages during the apprenticeship school block are not eligible under COJG. Ontario also offers the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit (ATTC), which provides a refundable tax credit to employers hiring apprentices in certain designated trades — meaning ATTC and COJG can sometimes be used together to offset different portions of apprenticeship costs.
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