Orillia, Ontario — Looking to make a change? The Ontario government has proposed to expand the Second Career Program and extend the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit to help Ontarians pivot their lives toward learning a new skill. Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement from Orillia Truck and Auto Recyclers on Monday.
First introduced in January, the Second Career Program provides workers with up to $28,000 to pay for the education and living expenses that come with a career change.
The program was initially designed for unemployed and recently laid-off workers, but will be expanded this spring to include those with little or no experience, those in the gig economy and the self-employed.
The government says the program will fund tuition for training programs 52 weeks or less.
The government also hopes to extend the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit to 2022, which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to help struggling employees get back into the workforce.
To extend the credit would provide an additional $275 million in support funding to the approximately 240,000 Ontarians who faced the brunt of pandemic shutdowns.
In the government’s press release, Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said “If you’re prepared to put in the work, time and effort to learn skills to support your family, the government is prepared to put in the money and give you every opportunity to see it through.
“That’s why we are proposing to extend the Ontario Job Training Tax Credit to help Ontario workers get the training they need to get good jobs right here in Ontario.”
