Ontario invests $90M in employment programs for marginalized residents
The Ontario government announced a third round of funding set aside for the provincial Skills and Development Fund (SDF) Monday in an effort to alleviate the provincial labour shortage.
In a press conference in Hamilton Monday morning, Ontario’s Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton announced an investment of $90M into programs across the province assisting unemployed and underemployed residents find work.
Monday's investment is in addition to the $15.8M laid out for the SDF in Ontario’s 2022-23 provincial budget.
This round of funding will prioritize programs “helping people with prior involvement in the criminal justice system, at-risk youth, those with disabilities, Indigenous people, Ukrainian newcomers, and others facing barriers to employment,” the ministry said.
Speaking to CTV Toronto Monday, McNaughton said this round of funding will attempt to bolster the provincial workforce, while also “really giving people a second chance.”
“Today in Ontario, almost 400,000 jobs are going unfilled, and it's right across all sectors,” McNaughton said. “And across Canada today, there's 4 million people who have a criminal record, which reduces the chance of a second interview by at least 50 per cent.”
“There's a real focus on helping people out, giving them a second chance and getting them into purpose driven careers.”
Programs eligible to receive funding include employment service and training providers; labour, community, business and industry organizations; municipalities; hospitals; Indigenous Band offices; Indigenous skills and employment training agreement holders; and service system managers.
The ministry says eligible programs can begin to apply for funding starting Sept. 29. Applications will remain open until Jan. 31, 2023.
Interested programs or organizations can apply through Transfer Payment Ontario.
The unemployment rate in Ontario rose 0.4 percentage points in August to about 5.7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.