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In addition to freezing Ontario Student Assistance Program payments to all private postsecondary institutions, the province has paused at least some funding through Beter Jobs Ontario, which helps unemployed people get skills training.
The Globe and Mail reports that there has been no public communication from the government about the status of the program that aims to get people off social assistance and into the workforce. However, people who were depending on the program and the institutions that were set to train them are taking note.
Reece Daniel was hoping to begin an HVAC program in London, Ont., on Oct. 19. The government had initially scheduled a meeting for Oct. 13 to give him information about the funding agreement, but a few days before that, they cancelled and said applications were under review.
The next intake for the HVAC program is in May, 2027.
Pathways Employment Help Centre has been assisting Daniel with his application and is seeing other clients experiencing the same delays and uncertainty with their Better Jobs Ontario funding decisions, the CEO said..
“Despite our agency’s repeated efforts to obtain clarification, the absence of a definitive decision prevented Reece and other clients from proceeding with their planned training as scheduled,” Ben Cecil said.
Career Colleges Ontario said the association has heard from member schools that Better Jobs Ontario funding for students at career colleges has been paused, but it has not received any formal communication from the government.
