Ontario

Better Jobs Ontario

Complex application

Tax filing not required

Better Jobs Ontario can help you with skills training for in-demand jobs and 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
  • a basic living allowance (up to $500 per week)

More funding may be available for:

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

You may be eligible for this benefit if you are in one of the situations below:

  • you have been laid-off and have either not been working or are working a temporary job just to cover costs
  • you 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 are getting any of the benefits below:

  • 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 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 provincial priority area.

Proof of  residency in Province

For example:

  • lease agreement
  • rent receipt
  • household bill
    • gas
    • electricity
    • cable television
    • telephone
  • driver's license
  • vehicle registration or car insurance
  • membership in social or professional organization
  • Other:
    • bank information
    • employment information

To apply to Better Jobs Ontario, you will need to work with an Employment Ontario agency. Staff there will help you decide if this program is right for you and help you to complete your application.

To get started, find an agency in your community and make an appointment. You can find an agency near you by visiting the Apply to Better Jobs Ontario section of the Better Jobs Ontario website.

Staff at the agency will help you get the information needed to support your application to Better Jobs Ontario.

Last updated: January 8, 2024