Training grants in Ontario — see which you qualify for
Answer a few quick questions and watch the map narrow to the ones your Ontario business can actually get — free, no account.
Ontario employers can draw on 10 real training and workforce programs in 2026: two Ontario-specific ones (the Canada-Ontario Job Grant for training costs and the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit for co-op hires) plus eight federal ones covering apprenticeships, youth and summer hires, R&D internships, and green-economy placements. The catch worth knowing up front: COJG, historically the default first stop, was paused in November 2025 for a ministry review, and several of the federal programs are not something an employer applies for directly at all. This guide sorts out which is which.
How Ontario's training-grant system works
Ontario funds employee training through two purely provincial programs and a wide layer of federal ones. The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is the province's own employer-training grant, cost-shared through the Employment Ontario network. The Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit is the province's own refundable credit for hiring post-secondary co-op students. Everything else in this guide, apprenticeship tax credits, youth wage subsidies, and R&D internships, is federal, run by Employment and Social Development Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, or an arm's-length delivery agency like Mitacs.
The part that trips up first-time applicants: several of these federal programs are not something an employer applies for directly. The Union Training and Innovation Program funds unions, not businesses. The Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program funds Indigenous agreement holders, who then offer wage subsidies to employers who hire through them. The Youth Employment and Skills Program funds intermediary organizations that recruit employer partners, not the other way around. The Student Work Placement Program and the Green Jobs internship stream are both delivered through a roster of sector partners (Magnet, ICTC, BioTalent, ECO Canada, and others), not a single federal office. Knowing which lane you're in before you start saves weeks of dead-end applications.
For a typical Ontario employer with no union or Indigenous-agreement affiliation, the two programs you apply for directly are COJG and, if you hire a co-op student, the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit. Everything else runs through a delivery partner, an intermediary organization, or the tax return.
The top Ontario training programs in 2026
These are the 10 programs an Ontario employer is most likely to actually qualify for, verified against GrantCompass's grant catalog. Training-cost grants and wage subsidies come first, then the two tax credits that need no separate application.
| Program | What it gives | Typical amount | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) | Training-cost grant (paused, see note) | Up to $10,000/employee | Existing-staff upskilling, any sector |
| Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) | Wage subsidy via delivery partner | $5,000–$7,000/placement | Co-op and work-integrated learning hires |
| Canada Summer Jobs | Wage subsidy | Up to 100% of minimum wage | Summer student hires, May to August |
| Youth Employment and Skills Program | Wage subsidy via intermediary org | Up to $25,000/youth | Hosting a youth placement through a funded agency |
| Mitacs Accelerate | Cost-shared R&D internship | $15,000–$20,000/unit | Graduate or postdoc applied-research projects |
| Green Jobs (STIP) | Wage subsidy via delivery partner | Up to 75% of wages | Green-economy and clean-tech internships for youth |
| Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) | Union training-hall funding | Up to $2 million | Union-affiliated apprenticeship programs (indirect) |
| Indigenous Skills and Employment Training | Funding via ISET agreement holder | Varies | Hiring Indigenous workers through a local holder |
| Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC) | Non-refundable tax credit | Up to $2,000/apprentice/yr | Red Seal apprentices, years 1 and 2 |
| Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit | Refundable tax credit | 25–30%, up to $3,000 | Hiring post-secondary co-op students |
Funding by type
Every program on this page falls into one of three buckets: it pays a training invoice, it subsidizes a paycheque, or it's claimed back at tax time. Matching the expense you actually have to the right bucket is the fastest way to narrow 10 programs down to the two or three that apply to you.
COJG covers tuition and course fees for an existing employee's training with an outside provider, split with the province once the intake reopens.
SWPP, Canada Summer Jobs, YESP, and Green Jobs (STIP) each cover part or all of a new placement's wages, usually paid through a delivery partner.
AJCTC and the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit need no application; they're claimed on your corporate return with supporting records.
Grant vs wage subsidy vs tax credit: pick the right door
Employers searching for "training grants" often mean any of three different instruments. Knowing which one you're reaching for changes both where you apply and how long you wait.
Non-repayable, paid to you
Covers a training invoice directly, split with the province. Currently paused pending a ministry review.
Tied to a specific hire
Non-repayable, but paid against a new placement's wages, usually through a delivery partner or intermediary, not directly to you.
No application needed
Claimed on your T2 or Ontario return with the right documentation. Refundable for the co-op credit, non-refundable but carried forward for the apprenticeship credit.
For most Ontario employers, the fastest win right now is the door with no application at all. If you already have an apprentice or a co-op student on payroll, claim AJCTC or the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit at tax time before chasing anything competitive or paused.
GTA vs Northern and regional Ontario
COJG is delivered through more than 300 Employment Ontario service providers, each covering its own catchment area, so approval speed depends partly on where you're located. Employers in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, and Oshawa often find providers at higher capacity during the fall and spring intake windows. Employers in Northern Ontario, including Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, North Bay, and Kenora, frequently see faster turnaround with less competition for the same funding pool. Mid-size markets, including Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Windsor, Kingston, and Barrie, each have their own dedicated providers too.
Two real, well-established Ontario programs sit outside our current program catalog, so we don't list specific amounts for them here: the Skills Development Fund, a competitive intake for organizations (industry associations, colleges, large employers) building sector-wide training infrastructure rather than funding a single employer's training, and Better Jobs Ontario (formerly Second Career), the province's worker-facing retraining program for laid-off individuals pursuing an in-demand occupation.
Both are administered through the same Employment Ontario network as COJG. If your organization is building a sector-wide training project, or you're advising an individual worker rather than hiring one, check ontario.ca directly for current intake windows and amounts before assuming either is or isn't available.
Who qualifies
Eligibility is program-specific, but a few things repeat across almost every Ontario training program:
- Your business, or non-profit, operates in Ontario, or the position being funded is Ontario-based.
- For COJG and the co-op tax credit, training or the placement uses a recognized third-party provider, an accredited college, university, or licensed trainer, not internal staff delivering their own training.
- For wage-subsidy programs, the position must be new, not a replacement for an existing employee.
- For AJCTC, the apprentice is registered in a Red Seal trade and in their first two years.
- Government bodies, school boards, and hospitals are excluded from most employer-facing streams.
The Windsor or Hamilton SME training for CNC, ISO 9001, or energy management
COJG is your workhorse once its intake reopens. On a $3,000 course, you'd pay $1,000 (one-third) and the province covers $2,000. Apply through your nearest Employment Ontario service provider, at least three to four weeks before training starts. Running apprentices at the same time? Claim the federal AJCTC on your T2 for years one and two of their wages, up to $2,000 per apprentice per year, regardless of COJG's status.
The electrical or plumbing contractor in Toronto or Ottawa
COJG covers the in-school tuition your apprentices pay at a college like George Brown, Algonquin, or Humber. AJCTC covers 10% of the wages you pay them in years one and two, up to $2,000 per apprentice per year, claimed on your T2, no application required. If your trade is affiliated with a union such as IBEW or the UA, the union training hall itself, not you, can apply for UTIP funding to modernize its curriculum and equipment, an indirect benefit to your apprentices. One correction worth flagging: the Ontario Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit was cancelled in 2017. If anything you're reading still mentions it, it's out of date.
The organization in Thunder Bay or Sudbury building entry-level capacity
Non-profits get the better end of Canada Summer Jobs, up to 100% of minimum wage versus 50% for private employers, for a summer student position. The Youth Employment and Skills Program can fund a placement for a youth facing employment barriers, but you don't apply to it directly. Find a YESP-funded intermediary organization in your region and offer to host a placement through them. COJG still applies for training your existing staff once its intake reopens.
The Kitchener-Waterloo or Toronto software company hiring its next co-op
COJG normally covers certification training from a recognized vendor or college, confirm your trainer's eligibility with your Employment Ontario provider first, once intake resumes. For a co-op or work-integrated-learning hire, apply through a Student Work Placement Program delivery partner, ICTC runs a tech-specific stream, worth $5,000 to $7,000 per placement. Claim the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit too, just remember the SWPP amount you receive reduces the wages eligible for that credit. Mitacs Accelerate connects you with a graduate student or postdoc for an applied R&D project at roughly matched cost; about $7,500 buys a funded researcher for four to six months.
How to apply
There's no single Ontario training-grant portal. Each program has its own front door, and for several of them, that door belongs to a delivery partner or intermediary organization, not the government directly.
- Confirm what you're funding first. Training an existing employee, hiring a co-op student, and running an apprentice each point to a different program. Match the expense to the door before you start.
- For COJG, check current status, then find your Employment Ontario provider. Intake was paused in November 2025; call 1-800-387-5656 or check ontario.ca before assuming it's open. When it's running, apply at least three to four weeks before training starts; retroactive claims are not accepted.
- For apprenticeship wages, claim AJCTC directly on your T2. No separate application. Keep the apprentice's registration certificate and payroll records.
- For a co-op or work-integrated hire, pick a delivery partner. Magnet, ICTC, BioTalent, or another sector partner administers the Student Work Placement Program depending on your industry. Get the school's certification letter too if you also want the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit.
- For a union apprenticeship or an Indigenous hire, go through the right intermediary. Union training halls apply for UTIP; local ISET agreement holders offer wage subsidies for Indigenous hires. Individual employers don't apply to either program directly.
- Document everything. Keep training invoices, completion certificates, attendance records, and payroll data for at least 3 years, 7 years for the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit. Employment Ontario and the CRA both audit.
Common first-timer mistakes
- Training before applying. COJG's rule was absolute even before the pause: training that has already started, even by a day, is ineligible for reimbursement.
- Assuming COJG is currently accepting applications. It was paused for review in November 2025 and its status was still unconfirmed as of our last check. Verify before you plan around it.
- Believing the Ontario Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit still exists. It was cancelled in 2017. The federal AJCTC is the credit to claim now.
- Applying directly to UTIP, ISET, or YESP. All three fund unions, Indigenous agreement holders, or intermediary organizations, not individual employers. Go through the right partner instead.
- Double-counting a co-op student's wages. Any Student Work Placement Program subsidy you receive reduces the wages eligible for the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit; you can claim both, but coordinate the math with your accountant.
- Forgetting the co-op certification letter. The Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit needs a letter from the student's college or university; without it, the CRA can disallow the claim on audit.
What's changed for Ontario training grants in 2026
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant has been paused since November 2025 for a ministry review. As of our most recent catalog verification (late June 2026), its status was still unresolved. This is the single biggest change on this page, since COJG has historically been the default first stop for Ontario employers training existing staff.
The federal Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant, a separate hiring incentive for new apprentices, closed its last intake in March 2024 and is being replaced. A successor program, the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service, was announced in May 2026 and is expected to offer up to $10,000 per apprentice at small and medium employers with 499 employees or fewer, though intake timing hadn't been confirmed as of our last check.
The Student Work Placement Program and the Union Training and Innovation Program are both trending toward growth in delivery capacity this year, per our latest verification, good news if you're planning a co-op hire or run a union-affiliated apprenticeship program.
The two credit-based programs, AJCTC and the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit, remain unchanged at their current rates. Since neither needs a separate application, they're the most reliable options while COJG's status is in flux.
Sources: GrantCompass catalog verification, late June 2026; Employment and Social Development Canada; Government of Ontario.FAQ
Is the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) still accepting applications?
What happened to the Ontario Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit?
Can I apply directly to the Union Training and Innovation Program or the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program?
Can I combine COJG with a wage subsidy like the Student Work Placement Program?
Do I need to be a large employer to qualify for Ontario training grants?
What's the fastest Ontario training grant to get?
Are Ontario training grants only for manufacturing and skilled trades?
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