Better Jobs Ontario
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Get New Skills for Jobs in Demand Now!
If you qualify for Better Jobs Ontario (BJO), you can gain new skills – those needed for jobs in demand now – through financial support. You can apply for up to $28,000 for training costs including:
- Tuition
- Books
- Transportation
- Student fees and supplies
- Electronic devices
- Childcare
- Disability-related support
- Basic living allowance (up to $500 a week)
Do I Qualify for Better Jobs Ontario?
You may qualify for Better Jobs Ontario if:
- You have been laid off and have not been working.
- You have been laid off and are working a temporary job to pay bills.
- You have been unemployed for six months or more, and are part of a low-income household.
If you are currently receiving Employment Insurance (EI), Ontario Works (OW), Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), or have received these benefits in the past, you can apply for Better Jobs Ontario.
When preparing your application, you must be able to show:
- How long you have been unemployed or working a temporary job
- Proof that the skills and job you want are in demand
- Jobs you worked before, length of employment, and skills worked for each role
- Highest level of education attained
- Companies and positions you have applied to recently
- New skills you want to obtain and where you can get training
What You Pay into Better Jobs Ontario
Timelines
A typical application process may take between two to four months. Times vary based on how quickly applicants complete the required documents, and how thorough their documents are.
Please Note: Once we, the Employment Ontario service provider, have a completed application, free of omissions/errors, decisions from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development may take upwards of four weeks depending on application volumes at the time. We recommend that the start date of the course you are looking to take is six-eight weeks away from the time you submit the completed application to us. Please see below regarding how to apply.
*Please be advised that you cannot start your training prior to being approved. Doing so will disqualify you from the Better Jobs Ontario Program.
How to Apply for Better Jobs Ontario
This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.