The COJG covers eligible training costs up to $10,000 per trainee, with additional flexibility for small employers. Small employers (fewer than 100 employees) training and hiring unemployed individuals may qualify for 100% funding, up to $15,000 per trainee. Eligibility for full funding is automatically assessed by the service provider.

Eligible training costs include:

• Tuition and reasonable training provider fees
• Textbooks, software, and required materials such as training clothing, tools, equipment, and disability supports (up to $500 per trainee)
• Mandatory student fees and examination fees
• Travel costs for trainees traveling over 24 km each way (up to $500 per trainee, in line with the employer’s travel policy)

Training costs cannot include the price of new equipment or combined training and equipment costs. 

Eligible employers include:

• Private and not-for-profit organizations, First Nations, and organizations acting on behalf of employers (e.g., union training halls, industry associations, training coordinators)
• Employers must meet criteria whether training one or multiple individuals

To qualify, an employer must:

• Make a minimum cash contribution toward training costs
• Employ the individual selected for training, with priority given to hiring unemployed individuals
• Be licensed to operate in Ontario and offer training related to a job in Ontario
• Comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Employment Standards Act
• Maintain appropriate workplace safety insurance and adequate general liability coverage
• Follow all applicable federal and provincial human rights legislation

Employers who cannot apply include:

• Federal, provincial, or municipal governments and agencies
• Broader public sector organizations as defined by the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act
• District social services administration boards
• COJG service providers or Employment Service providers
• Employers already receiving government funds for the same training for the same individual
• Employers using training to replace existing staff or lay-offs
• Employers who require participants to cover any part of their COJG contribution

Yes. Employers may reapply if they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Applications are reviewed individually, and funding is not guaranteed. Employers who have not received funding in the last six months are given priority. Positive results include participants moving from:

• Unemployment to employment
• Part-time to full-time work
• Seasonal to year-round employment
• Layoff risk to stable employment
• Lower wages to higher wages and better positions 

Yes. Employers may have multiple training agreements running concurrently, but each application must meet program priorities and be assessed on its own merits. Employers who received funding in the past six months are given lower priority, and in cases of limited funding, these applications may not be approved. 

Training must be provided by one of the following third-party providers:

• Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology
• Publicly-assisted universities
• Publicly assisted Indigenous Institutes
• New Sitemap 13
• School boards
• Private trainers operating in compliance with the Career Colleges Act, 2005
• Product vendors (Only eligible to deliver training that is unrelated to the use of the product or service).
  • For the purpose of the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, product vendor training is defined as any training where the vendor is involved in the creation/sale of the product and is also conducting the training. “Product” refers to business-related materials purchased by the employer.
• Union-based training centres
• Sector Councils
• Industry Associations

Training must meet the following criteria:

• Be delivered in Ontario
• Related to a job that is located in Ontario
• Not exceed one year in duration
• Be provided by an eligible training institution
• Must not have already started
• Online training that is eligible to be funded can be a blended model and is not limited to in-person training/modules.
• Each application is restricted to one course. Multiple modules of one course may be accepted but must be delivered by the same training provider to the same individuals.