Better Jobs Ontario

Better Jobs Ontario provides eligible applicants with:

• skills training for in-demand jobs
• financial support

You can apply for up to $28,000 for costs, including:

• tuition
• books
• other instructional costs, including student fees, supplies and electronic devices
• transportation
• basic living allowance (up to $500 per week)

Additional funding may be available for:

• childcare
• disability-related supports
• living away from home
• Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) and/or language training

Length of Training Programs

Better Jobs Ontario aims to help you rejoin the workforce quickly. That’s why the program focuses on training programs that take 52 weeks or less to complete, including micro-credential programs.

If you want to attend training for longer than one year, you can apply to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) for a mix of grants and loans to help you pay for your post-secondary education.

Eligibility

You qualify for Better Jobs Ontario if you either:

• have been laid-off and have not been working or are working a temporary job just to cover costs
• have not been laid-off but have been unemployed for six months or longer and are part of a low-income household

You can still apply if you receive either:

• Employment Insurance (EI)
• Ontario Works (OW)
• Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
• Laid-off due to COVID-19

While the Better Jobs Ontario program is open to unemployed jobseekers, a fast-track stream is available if you were laid-off because of COVID-19 and want to retrain for jobs in sectors that have the potential for future employment.

If your application meets all the following criteria, you will go through a faster approval process, giving you access to training sooner:

• You were laid off on or after March 1, 2020.
• You have a high school education or less, you were laid-off from an occupation requiring no more than a high school education and job-specific training, such as food and beverage servers, flight attendants and retail salespersons.
• You were laid-off from an industry hit hard by the pandemic, such as hospitality and food services, transportation and warehousing or wholesale and retail trade.
• You want to train for a career in demand in a local community or provincial priority area.

How to Apply

For more information on this or other Employment Ontario programs and services, contact us directly or fill out your EPC Job search Profile and we will contact you.

Keeping Your Job/Job Coaching Workshop

Succeeding in your Job and Advancing in your Career

Got a job and want to make sure you keep it? Something holding you back at work? Learn how to set goals, make a change, and keep moving forward at work. Make a plan with clear steps to help you stay on track. Contact us for details.

50+ Job Club

50+ Job Club

Join the 50+ Job Club

Are you a mature job seeker in the market for a new position or looking to re-enter the workforce after a gap in your work history? Does it sometimes feel like your age or experience is working against you? Are you feeling alone and isolated in your job search?

There can be added difficulties to job searching for people from certain demographics. We have the knowledge and experience to support mature workers using group information sessions geared to their specific needs.
Some of the topics discussed at the weekly sessions include: job loss, networking & interview stress.
 
Join us Wednesday mornings from 9:30am-12pm for information  & peer support.

Resource Centre

Internet Access

The Resource Centre has ten new computers with high-speed internet access, USB accessibility and Microsoft Office Suite 2010. We also offer free photocopying (limit of 10 pages per day), telephone access, and local and long-distance faxing.

Employment Counsellors

On-site Employment Counsellors provide assistance with job search strategies, career selection, resume writing, information relating to the labour market and information regarding programs and eligibility criteria.

Resource Centre Job Board

Our in-house job board is updated weekly with jobs taken from general and local job search websites. We make sure the jobs we put on our board are local and we categorize them by industry, saving you time and energy as you continue your search for work.

Print Resources

Not sure how to get started on your resume or cover letter? Come check out our many resumes and cover letter samples. We have samples and templates for many different industries, so you’re bound to find a format that works for you. We also have print resources on commonly asked interview questions, how to do an information interview, job search strategies, as well as job search logs to help keep you organized.