Ontario to invest $77M to help the unemployed

'Our government will connect people to rewarding careers'

BY Emily Douglas 04 Jan. 2021

As we enter the New Year, Canadian employers are already considering the future of their businesses post-COVID.

With yet more employees finding themselves out of work, the government has stepped in to help rectify the struggling economy.

Ontario will invest over $77 million to help laid off workers find much-needed jobs in their communities. As part of the scheme, applicants will receive up to $28,000 for training and living expenses.

In a written statement, Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, training and skills development, highlighted the importance of this scheme to both employers and employees.

"Our government will connect people to rewarding careers, enabling them to contribute to our economic recovery,” he told media

"Our updated and improved Second Career program will help people get back on their feet, learn new skills and provide hope for them and their families."

Certain criteria means that some jobseekers will be fast tracked onto the Second Career. This includes:

The applicant having been laid off on or after March 1, 2020
The applicant has high school education or less, or was 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
The applicant was laid off from an industry hit hard by the pandemic, such as hospitality and food services, transportation and warehousing or wholesale and retail trade