Effective Workforce Development Programs Free to Job Seekers

There’s thousands of jobs to be had in eastern Ontario. If you’re looking for a job here, whether it’s in manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, aviation or food processing, training is available. 

Even better, most of the training is free for you. 

Employers in eastern Ontario want to make it easier for you to train for jobs because they want to hire you. So you get hands-on sector-specific experience, plus work-essential knowledge like work safety standards. Then, you get connected with those employers who need your new-found expertise.

You’ll want to know more about these workforce development programs and skilled trade opportunities for job seekers in eastern Ontario:

How Eastern Ontario Is Helping Job Seekers Get Hired

Getting trained to be a skilled worker in eastern Ontario is easy. There’s online access to training programs and safe in-class training facilities. Plus there’s financial assistance to help you live until you get a job. Programs and support offered by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) focus on getting you the job you want in sectors that are hiring. Even better, some of the skills you acquire are transferable to other jobs and work environments.

The MLTSD helps job seekers throughout their employment journey. If you’re just getting started, MLTSD:

• Provides labour market information so you know what skills are needed, and where, in eastern Ontario,
• Offers career planning advice so you can take your passion and find skills training to turn it into paying work, and
• Connects you with employers who are hiring through Employment Ontario, so you’ll never miss a job opportunity in your sector, where you live. 

Once you decide what type of career you want, MLTSD helps you access the training to gain the skills you need to follow the work path you’ve chosen. Here are 3 places where you can learn your trade:

1. College Programs - so you can get the theory and hands-on skills you need,
2. University programs - so you can earn your degree in the career you want, and
3. Apprenticeship programs - so you can learn on the job and get the in-school information that’ll help you succeed in your trade.  

The Sector Partnership Planning Grant  (SPPG) helped industries and training providers identify skills gaps (therefore vacant jobs) for employers in eastern Ontario. This identification led to the creation of training programs to help job seekers acquire skills for sector-specific jobs and get jobs faster. 

3 Ways to Choose Your Career Path

With many sectors looking to hire in eastern Ontario, job seekers are at an advantage; they can choose to train and look for work in areas close to home. Here are some programs that help make that happen:

1. The way work is done is evolving, and skills training is reflecting that change. The Future Skills Project helps job seekers find the training they need to keep up with workforce demands and find well-paying jobs in thriving sectors. When you access this training, you stay employable.
2. Unemployed or underemployed job seekers can look to Connect2Skills to get paid to learn skills for sectors that are hiring in hospitality, tourism and manufacturing. Four weeks of in-classroom training plus two weeks of job placement gets your foot in the door of a sector where you want to work.
3. If you’re interested in a trade and an apprenticeship opportunity, but need to improve some of your skills before you commit, take pre-apprenticeship training. It’s free and you’ll get textbooks, tools and safety equipment. Pre-apprenticeship training gives you the opportunity to learn industry safety skills and regulations, hone up on your academic skills and get some in-school training.

Workforce Development Programs Help Job Seekers New to Canada 

Newcomers to Canada can get training to join the workforce in eastern Ontario. Federal programs meet the unique needs of people from other countries looking to live and work in Canada. Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada play a role in offering these programs:

• Local Immigration Partnerships connect immigrant job seekers with labour market information so they know where the jobs are. Look for these support systems to help you get skills training and find work in eastern Ontario. 
• Newcomer Employment Welcome Services Centres (NEWS) are places for new Canadians to get help to settle into their new communities and find jobs, which makes arriving and living in Canada less scary.
• Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program helps immigrants with existing job offers, graduate students or entrepreneurs fast track their permanent residency process. Find out if you’re eligible and follow the steps so you can get settled in eastern Ontario faster.

Want more training information to get a job in eastern Ontario? 

1. https://fsc-ccf.ca/
   
2. http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/programs/sppg.html
3. https://www.thefourcountymethod.com/connect/shop/index.html
4. https://www.ontario.ca/page/prepare-apprenticeship#section-1
5. https://eotb-cfeo.on.ca/