Employers may be eligible for financial incentives to offset some of the costs of providing on-the-job training and work experience. Did you know there are more than two dozen employment grants in Ontario – grants for hiring students, apprentices, interns, and more?
Yes, there is financial support out there to help build your team! Some programs are Canada-wide, and some are Ontario-focused. There are grants, wage subsidies, and tax credits or refunds on offer, so take a gander through and see which incentives work for you!
These programs are currently available through Employment Ontario:
Graduated Apprenticeship Grant for Employers: With the Graduated Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (GAGE), eligible companies could receive up to $16,700 to train an apprentice in more than 100 eligible trades. An additional bonus of up to $2,500 could be received if your apprentice is from an underrepresented group, including newcomers.
Canada-Ontario Job Grant: The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) provides direct financial support to individual employers or employer consortia who wish to purchase training for their employees. It is available to small, medium and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees.
Hire a young person: This program is designed to help employers find skilled workers and to help young people (between 15 and 29 years old) gain skills and experience. To be eligible, the candidate must be eligible to work in Canada, be unemployed, not be attending school full-time, and live in Ontario.
Co-operative Education Tax Credit: The Co-operative Education Tax Credit (CETC) is a refundable tax credit available to employers who hire students enrolled in a recognized Ontario College or university co-operative education program.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers the program on behalf of Ontario through the federal income tax system. An eligible employer may claim a refundable tax credit for each qualifying work placement ending in the taxation year. The CETC reimburses employers 25% of eligible expenditures. Smaller businesses are eligible for a higher credit rate of 30%. The maximum credit for each qualifying work placement is $3,000. Most work placements are for a minimum employment period of 10 weeks up to a maximum of four months.
Employment Ontario Employment Services staff can help employers learn about wage incentives. Find the Employment Ontario Employment Services office near you.
Other resources and links for Employer Incentives:
Career Edge: Career Edge is a not-for-profit, social enterprise online job posting board and Canada’s largest provider of paid internships. They help individuals launch their careers while supplying organizations with diverse, qualified talent.
