Province Helping People Start Healthcare Careers in Northern Ontario with free training

The Ontario government is investing more than $10.6 million to train 500 workers for well-paying and in-demand jobs at hospitals, long-term care homes, and with home care providers in Northern Ontario. This investment will help job seekers get the skills they need to find rewarding careers as medical laboratory assistants, personal support workers, and home support workers.

Details were provided today by Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, who was joined by Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care, and Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

“As we continue to combat the new variant, we need all hands on deck,” said Minister McNaughton. “That is why our government is taking action to ensure communities across Ontario have access to the healthcare workers they need, to receive the level of care and services they deserve. With this investment, we are addressing the critical labour shortage in healthcare and working for workers in northern Ontario by training hundreds of people with meaningful and rewarding careers.”

Led by Confederation College, this project covers training, fees and textbooks for 500 participants, prioritizing those who are unemployed, underemployed, or at risk of losing their jobs. Each participant will receive a job placement in the community and ongoing support, continuing after they graduate.

“Having worked in the healthcare sector, I know how important the need is for qualified, well-trained staff working in our long-term care agencies, hospitals and home community support agencies,” said Minister Rickford. “By investing in this training, we will be connecting qualified job seekers with employers offering in-demand healthcare careers right here in our northwestern Ontario communities.”

These changes build on the government’s work to invest in skills training opportunities and attract investments that will create good, well-paying jobs in every region of the province, including investing over $200 million in the Skills Development Fund. The government has also revamped the Second Career program, which provides up to $28,000 for people who’ve lost their jobs to get the training and skills needed to find meaningful careers close to home.

“Training and hiring more staff is part of our government’s plan to fix long-term care and to improve the quality of care residents receive and the quality of life they experience,” said Minister Phillips. “This investment will help 500 Ontarians start new careers across the healthcare sector. I am confident many of them will bring their much needed, new skills to long-term care homes right here in Northern Ontario.”

Ontario Government
Latest posts by Ontario Government (see all)