Ontario expands training for unemployed workers and extends jobs training tax credit

Orillia, Ont. – The Ontario government is providing financial support to workers by expanding the Second Career Program and proposing to extend the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit.

The training program would be expanded to serve more people on social assistance, those who are self-employed, gig workers, youth, newcomers, and others who need a hand up, while the tax credit would be extended to 2022.

The Second Career program provides financial support to laid-off and unemployed workers. By Spring 2022, the Second Career program will begin supporting unemployed individuals with little or no work experience, those who are self-employed and those in the gig economy. The program will also offer much better access for those whose employment barriers may have been made worse by the pandemic, including young people, newcomers, people on social assistance, and people with disabilities.

The government is also proposing to extend the temporary, refundable Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit to 2022, which was originally introduced in the 2021 Ontario Budget to help workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic get back into the workforce. The extension would provide an estimated $275 million in additional support to about 240,000 people, or $1,150 on average, to help Ontario workers continue to upgrade their skills.

Since revamping Second Career to prioritize those laid off during the pandemic, the number of workers accessing the program has increased by 71 per cent, the government said in a news release. Building on these changes, the proposed program expansion will help more local employers find the talent they need, while providing a hand up to those who want to re-train for in-demand careers.