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
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.