Ontario Skills Development

Ontario Skills Development Program provides support to unemployed people who are or have recently been eligible for Employment Insurance and need marketable skills in order to re-enter the labour market.

The program provides financial assistance to help people with some of the costs associated with acquiring the training they need to re-enter the labour market, such as tuition and books.

Who can apply?

Job seekers who are unemployed can apply to participate if they meet one of the following conditions:

They established a claim for Employment Insurance benefits or their Employment Insurance benefit period ended within the past three years.

They established a claim for Employment Insurance maternity or parental benefits and were paid benefits within the past five years, and are re-entering the labour force after having left it to care for newborn or newly adopted children.

For the purpose of determining whether an individual qualifies as a participant, the date the completed application is received by Employment Ontario is the date when he or she is considered to have requested assistance.

Other criteria may apply.

How can I get more information?

Call the toll-free Employment Ontario hotline at 1-800-387-5656, TTY (telephone service for the deaf) 1-866-768-1157 for more information about how to access Ontario Skills Development services in your area. Newcomers to Ontario can ask for this information in the language of their choice.