Employers looking to invest in their workforce and boost business performance can find many support programs in Halton and Ontario.
Canada Ontario Job Grant (COJG)
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is provincial program that provides direct financial support to individual employers who wish to purchase training for their workforce.
The COJG provides financial support to individual employers who wish to purchase training for their employees. It will be available to small, medium and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees, and will:
- Provide up to $10,000 in government support per person for training costs.
- Require employers to contribute one-third of the total costs. There will be additional flexibility for small businesses to provide an in-kind contribution towards their share of the costs.
- Require training to be delivered by an eligible, third-party trainer.
Click here to learn more about how COJG can benefit you (external link).
Do you qualify for COJG?
To qualify, you must:
- Be an individual private or not-for-profit sector employer
- First Nations
- An organization acting on behalf of an employer (including union training halls, industry associations, training coordinators and other employer consortiums that meet the requirements below)
Eligibility criteria applies to all employers regardless of whether they are training one or multiple individuals.
An employer must:
- make minimum cash and in-kind contributions towards training costs
- employ the individual selected for training
- be licensed to operate in Ontario
- be applying for training that is delivered in Ontario and is related to a job that is also located in Ontario
- comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act
- maintain appropriate Workplace Safety and Insurance Board or private workplace safety insurance coverage
- have adequate third-party general liability insurance, as advised by its insurance broker
- comply with all applicable federal and provincial human rights legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards.
An employer must not:
- be a federal, provincial or municipal government and/or agency
- be a designated broader public sector organization, as defined by the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act (external link)
- be district social services administration boards established under the District Social Services Administration Boards Act (notwithstanding their exclusion under the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act)
- be a Canada-Ontario Job Grant service provider, or an Employment Service provider
- be currently in receipt of other government funds related to the same skills training for the same individual (e.g., Employment Service or Youth Employment Fund Job Placements)
- use training participants to displace existing staff or replace staff who are on lay-off.
To find out if you are eligible for the program, visit us in-person or dial 311 to set up an appointment.
Applying to COJG
During your application process, you will work with Employment Halton to determine if this program is right for you. If so, staff will also help you prepare and complete your application.
For more information on the application process, visit the Province’s Canada Ontario Job Grant webpage (external link).
Training incentives
Employment Halton offers training incentives that may benefit your company. Incentives can offset the cost of training and hourly wages. They are based on:
- Individual needs
- Job complexity
- Length of training required
Apprenticeship incentives
You may be eligible for a $2,000 employer signing bonus if you register, train and hire an apprentice:
- $1,000 when the individual is registered.
- $1,000 six months later if the individual is still working.