11 Government of Ontario Training Grants to Improve Your Employee’s Skills

Continuing the development of skills is necessary to both growing your business and growing your careers. You can help to reduce the financial burden by looking into Ontario training grants that we will be covering below.

You can either learn what you want to know or what you need to know by taking advantage of these programs. Or, apply for one of them to give your employees a chance to learn some new skills that they can apply to your business’s processes or products.

Canadian Training Incentives

When it comes to developing skills, it’s an even playing field because most financial programs are available across the county. There are options that are available for apprenticeships, trades, and entertainers.

Ontario Training Incentives for 2024

Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women – Employment and Social Development Canada

This program helps applicants to pay for expenses while training as an apprentice in a Designated Red Seal Trade where women are underrepresented. The funding is a taxable grant that is awarded to registered apprentices.

Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit – Canada Revenue Agency

This is a non-refundable investment tax credit that is equal to 10% of the eligible wages and salaries that are payable to eligible apprentices in respect of employment. You can qualify to claim if your business hires an eligible apprentice.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – TAC Leaders Lab

Created by TAC and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, this program helps to enhance the capacity of leadership within the arts and culture sectors in Toronto. It was designed for arts professional that has demonstrated the potential to lead change within their communities, organizations, or art sectors.

SOCAN Foundation – Professional Development Assistance Program

SOCAN writers, composers, and music publishers can receive grants across all genres of music, to upgrade their knowledge and skills or acquire new knowledge and skills to advance their careers. The funding can be used to pay incidental and/or registration fees that are associated with courses, conferences, workshops, and seminars.

Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development – Group Sponsorship Grant (GSC)

This program offers a grant to encourage employers to come together using a group sponsorship arrangement to hire and train apprentices. As a group sponsorship arrangement, the employers will share apprenticeship management and training responsibilities, which can structure training, streamline administration, and reduce the pressure on any one employer to see an apprentice through the completion of their training.

Canada Training Grants for 2024

Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) Artist Manager

Small businesses that are in the entertainment industry can receive funding from this program to cover some of the costs of their program that is geared at working with artist managers and independent artists and give them the needed skills to develop and build their music management business.

Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) Artist Entrepreneur

Artists and bands in all music genres can receive help to build their businesses and create more sustainable careers through this program. Participants will work hands-on with a team of marketing, management, publicity, social media, touring, promotion, funding, songwriting, and production experts from CMI and Coalition Music via networking, mentoring, and collaboration.

Employment and Social Development Canada Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG)

The AIG will help an apprentice to pay for expenses while training in a designated Red Seal trade. This is a taxable grant that is given to applicants who have already completed the first year/level, or equivalent, training to apply.

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada Digital Literacy Exchange Program

This program supports not-for-profit organizations that provide Canadians who need confidence and improved skills in using computers and the internet with digital literacy training initiatives. This will help all Canadians to participate and benefit from a digitally engaged and connected society.

Ontario Training Incentives

On top of the funding programs that are available for skills development across Canada, Ontario offers organizations and residents a few additional funding programs.

You can apply for one this year and take advantage of the opportunity to build your skills or your employee’s skills for the benefit of your business and, in turn, the country’s economy.

Training Grants in Ontario in 2024

Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities Canada-Ontario Job Grant

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) will provide direct funding support to employers who wish to pay for their employee’s training. Businesses of all sizes who have a plan to deliver short-term training to new and existing employees can take advantage of this program. 

Training Tax Credits in Ontario

Ministry of Finance Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit

Businesses that have taken on an apprentice on or before November 15, 2017, can take advantage of this tax credit if you and your apprentice were a part of an apprenticeship program that is registered under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009.

Bottom Line

As you can see there isn’t an abundance of programs that are available with skills development. However, there are some, and maybe that will change over time, so be sure to keep an eye out for anything new.

On the other hand, there’s still some to choose from and they are all geared towards different sectors, so there’s a good chance that there is one that will be right for you.

It may be easy to say that you don’t have the time to update or start working on your skills and it’s hard to find the time in our busy schedules with everything that needs to be done, however, there is nothing that screams success like an employee that is fully trained with the best of cutting-edge knowledge. Since knowledge is always changing, it’s a smart decision to stay on top of your and your employee’s learning.