The best people to have working for you are the ones who know what they’re doing, right? As an employer, you already know how hard it is to find the right people, but keeping them up-to-date on training for their role is quite another challenge. You want your employees to be at the top of their game when it comes to job performance, but training isn’t cheap. Enter: The Canada Ontario Job Grant (COJG). With this grant, employers can apply for financial support to provide training to their new AND existing staff, making skills upgrading and training more affordable and accessible to business owners.

How does it work?

The COJG is a shared investment between employers and the federal and provincial governments. The cost to the employer is determined by your staff size. Here’s how this breaks down:

  • Employers with 100 staff (or more) will split the total cost of the training. Half will be covered by the employer, and half covered by the grant.
  • Employers with less than 100 employees will contribute 1/6 of the total cost of training.
  • Employers who have hired a new staff member who’s been unemployed may be eligible to receive 100% of the training costs covered for that individual.

The goal is to help employers keep their staff properly trained in their sector, so as the employer you can decide what training best meets your business development needs AND the needs of your staff. Under this COJG, employers are eligible to receive up to $15,000 per person. However, there are a few stipulations to this grant in order to be eligible. Here are a few:

  1. The training must be less than 1 year in length & be offered by an eligible third-party educator
  2. Applications must be submitted online PRIOR to the start of training
  3. Financial support is not guaranteed
  4. Employers can’t be a federal, provincial or municipal government organization

There are several other guidelines that you’ll want to review to make sure you or your staff are eligible for this training incentive program. If you have training needs at your company, speak with Focus Employment Services. Our team is very knowledgeable about this unique program and can help you navigate the COJG application process to help your staff get the skills training they need. We are also able to identify any other grants you may be eligible for. With our help, you can “Focus” on building your business and your workforce with training, workshops, new recruits and so much more! Contact us today or stop by our Alliston or Angus offices to see what we can do for you.