Have You Heard of the Canada Ontario Job Grant?
The Canada Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant Programs delivered by the Government of Ontario. COJG provides opportunities for employers, individually or in groups, to invest in their workforce, with help from the government.
As the world continues to change at an ever-increasing pace, business leaders are voicing their concerns over the widening skills gap. Many organizations have seen this and recognized that continuous professional development is critical for employees and businesses to thrive in the world today. As a result, they’ve begun the journey to becoming a learning organization by interweaving learning into the company culture.
What is it?
As new technologies, globalization, and changing demographics rapidly shift Ontario’s economy, the mix of available jobs changes, as do the skills people need to succeed in them. By investing in and developing education and training, the government assists in maintaining Ontario’s competitive advantage, helping businesses and workers adapt to change and achieve their own career or job goals.
The COJG provides direct financial support to individual employers or employer consortia who wish to purchase training for their employees. It is available to small, medium, and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees.
Through the program, companies may receive non-repayable funding from the government to buy third-party business training programs, including training for in-demand skill sets. Training is expected to improve the employability and value employees can provide; including new hires in these training sessions can also maximize your funding potential.
How it Benefits You
Companies that invest in employee training and development face less turnover, attract a bigger pool of talent to fill positions, experience less lost productivity, and less loss of staff to their more innovative competitors.
There’s no question that the past few years have introduced often unforeseen challenges and have put pressure on companies to keep up with global changes and developments. What employers can do now is to arm their workforce with the tools and knowledge they need to close those gaps.
The COJG provides a way for organizations to invest in the development of their employees by sharing the training and upskilling costs with the government, because there’s a strong correlation between business success and workforce training.
Who can apply?
Eligible employers must:
● employ the individual who will be trained. Higher priority is given to employers who are training and hiring unemployed individuals
● 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
● comply with all applicable federal and provincial human rights legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards
Reach out now and let’s chat about your employee training. We have some ideas!