How to get $10,000 from the Canada-Ontario Job Grant
For many businesses, training your workers can be a headache (especially when it hits your bottom line!). The alternative? Not training your workers is a surefire way to get your company into a mess later on down the road. Liability, mistakes, injuries – likely more expensive than training in the first place – but is there a way to make the costs of training your employees less of a hit? If you’re lucky enough to be in Ontario, there is.
Ontario workers can receive $10,000 of training from their employers.
The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario have agreed to $6 billion over six years of investment to Ontario workers, meaning that 180,000 or more Ontario workers will stand to benefit from additional training and services. Translation: you don’t necessarily have to foot the whole bill, but your company gets all the benefits of properly trained staff!
Keeping Ontario Businesses Competitive in a Changing World
“Ontario’s economy is changing,” said the Honourable Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development on the investment to Ontario workers. “New technologies, globalization and shifting demographics mean that the available jobs – and the types of skills needed to succeed in those roles are different.”
The Honourable Mitize Hunter, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development in a 2018 announcement to the legislative assembly.
“These agreements mean we can provide programs and services that directly connect people with opportunities to get those skills.”
Employers through the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) may receive non-repayable funding to purchase third-party business training for in-demand skillsets. The COJG funding can reduce the cost of training employees by up to 50-83%. The grant will also cover up to $10,000 in training costs per employee.
This is huge for businesses with staff to train on a tight budget. In the past, you would have had to make a mid-to-long term projection of the cost benefits of training key employees, but with a grant like this, you have a lot more freedom to upgrade your workers’ skillsets.
What does it cost to train your employees?
The Conference Board of Canada identified three things in their 2018 report article titled, Canadian Employers’ Investment in Employee Learning and Development Continues to Rise. There were three identified highlights to employers spending more on employee training and catching up with our southern neighbours:
- Canadian employers spent $899 per employee on average on learning and development in 2016-17
- Organizations that promote a strong learning culture exhibit better overall organizational performance
- Independent learning and informal learning continue to increase in Canadian organizations
The COJG and the highlights from the Conference Board of Canada don’t surprise, Asma Iqbal, People Operations Officer with We Know Training in Edmonton, Alberta.
“Not only does training and development build more skilled and competent employees, it also has a huge impact on recruitment and retention,” said Iqbal. “Organizations that invest in their employees’ learning and development have seen lower turnover rates and end up building a talent brand that appeals to candidates who are looking to better themselves. That’s the kind of talent you want to attract and retain. As such, an organization that invests in its employees, ultimately invests in its own future.”
Skilled workers can receive additional training to keep up with the market.
What’s the Catch?
Of course, not every class or certificate out there is covered, and there are a few standards that must be met to meet criteria.
To be eligible employers must follow these steps:
- Contribute a minimum of half of eligible training costs in cash (unless you are a small employer with fewer than 100 employees);
- Employ the individual selected for training;
- Be licensed to operate in Ontario;
- Be applying for training that is delivered in Ontario and is related to a job that is also located in Ontario;
- Comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act;
- Maintain appropriate Workplace Safety and Insurance Board or private workplace safety insurance coverage;
- Have adequate third-party general liability insurance as advised by its insurance broker;
- Comply with all applicable federal and provincial human rights legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards
The benefits to both employer and employee is plain to see, especially if you meet the requirements to apply for the COJG. Employer sponsored training is proven to help in retention of employees and higher job satisfaction. It reduces turnover of an employee which could lead to sales decline, loss of knowledge and a hit to company morale.
In a world where employees have the ability to move around more easily, and the costs of re-hiring far outweigh the marginal cost of upgrading, the Canada-Ontario Job Grant is the cherry on top. The government is motivated to keep skilled workers employed at a high level and to drive businesses to be even more competitive with the rest of the world. If you are eligible for the grant and have training needs for your staff, you would be leaving money on the table to not take advantage of this program.
Training available to employers to train their employees (train the trainer) can be delivered by community colleges, career colleges, trade union centres or private trainers. Even better, the course delivery does not have to be in-class. The COJG covers a variety of fields and settings including classroom, workplace or online training. As online training specialists, we have a catalogue of industry certified training designed to reduce liability and costs for employers while upgrading employee skills to do their job safely and efficiently.
How Do I Get In On The Canada-Ontario Job Grant?
Here are the steps you need to apply for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant:
- Go to the online application form
- For companies submitting or 25 or fewer training participants contact the hotline 1-800-387-5656 or Service Provider Quick Search
- Have Contact name, Canada Revenue Agency number and employer details (business name, address, number of employees, and year business registered)
- Contact information of your training provider including, first, second and third choice provider
- Details of training costs, including:
- Tuition or other training provider fees
- Cost of textbooks, software, and other required materials
- Mandatory student fees
- Examination fees
- Travel cost for incumbents and/or new hires
- Canada Revenue Agency number of your first-choice training provider
- Training details, including:
- Number of incumbents to be trained
- Number of new hires to be trained
- Review your application
- Declaration and submit for approval
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