Ontario pauses skills training funds for 2026 intake

Unemployed workers in Ontario who were scheduled to start career college training this month are waiting for a start date that has slipped to May 2027. The delay stems from a pause in payments through Better Jobs Ontario, a provincial program that provides funds for skills training to help people leave social assistance and enter the workforce.

The provincial government has not issued a public statement confirming the freeze on this specific funding stream. Instead, officials have directed media inquiries toward the ongoing review of private post-secondary institutions. This lack of direct communication has left students and training providers uncertain about the status of their financial agreements.

Reece Daniel was set to begin an HVAC program in London, Ontario, on October 19. The government had planned a meeting on October 13 to discuss his funding agreement, but that session was cancelled shortly before it was scheduled. Officials told Daniel that applications were under review. His next opportunity to enroll in the program is now in May 2027.

"This course was something that was going to get me jumped back on my feet," Daniel said. "I'm still probably going to be presented with the opportunity to go to school next year, but the significant delays .. waiting for so long, putting off work for so long, it's a little bit disappointing and frustrating."

Ben Cecil, the CEO of the Pathways Employment Help Centre in Toronto, said his organization is seeing similar delays among other clients. Cecil noted that repeated attempts to get clarification from the government resulted in no definitive decision. "The absence of a definitive decision prevented Reece and other clients from proceeding with their planned training as scheduled," Cecil said.

Career Colleges Ontario, an association representing member schools, stated that it has heard from institutions that their Better Jobs Ontario funding is paused. The group has not received formal written notice from the government. In a statement, the association expressed concern about the disruption and urged officials to restore access to funds for compliant schools while maintaining accountability.

The pause follows an announcement by Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn earlier this month. Quinn stated that Ontario Student Assistance Program payments are suspended for all private post-secondary institutions. This decision was made after preliminary audit findings raised concerns about how financial aid was being used at some career colleges. Trillium College has suspended classes, citing the uncertainty from both the OSAP pause and the separate Better Jobs Ontario funding interruption.

When asked directly if Better Jobs Ontario funds were also paused, Quinn’s spokesperson Bianca Giacoboni provided a written response. Giacoboni stated that other streams of provincial funding to private institutions were under review but refused to list which specific programs were included. Interim Liberal leader John Fraser criticized the approach, saying the government should be transparent if it is taking action against another funding source. "It's happening," Fraser said. "They know it's happening and I don't know why they're afraid to say it."