The Better Jobs Ontario program supports individuals who have been laid off and are struggling to find employment through training and financial support. Tropicana’s Employment Centre offers the program and provides eligible applicants with:

• Skills training for in-demand jobs.
• Financial support.

Skills training and career retraining
The Better Jobs Ontario program provides skills training for in-demand jobs to help individuals who have been laid off or unemployed long-term retrain for today’s evolving job market. Whether you’re transitioning out of an industry or looking to change careers, the program supports your journey with targeted training opportunities that align with Ontario’s labour market needs, giving you the tools to re-enter the workforce with confidence.

Financial assistance
The Better Jobs Ontario program at Tropicana provides for up to $28,000 for costs, including:

• Tuition
• Books
• Other instructional costs include student fees, supplies, and electronic devices
• Transportation
• A basic living allowance (up to $500 per week)

Additional funding may be available for:

• Childcare
• Disability-related support
• Living away from home
• Literacy and basic skills (LBS) and language training

Duration of the skills and career training program
Training programs take 52 weeks or less to complete.

Eligibility

You qualify for Better Jobs Ontario if you either:

• Have been laid off and have not been working or are working a temporary job to cover costs.
• Have not been laid off but have been unemployed for six months or longer and are part of a low-income household.

You can still apply if you receive either:

• Employment Insurance (EI)
• Ontario Works (OW)
• Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

Applications that meet all the following criteria will go through a faster approval process, receiving priority training access:

• Laid off on or after March 1, 2020
• High school education or less, were laid off from an occupation requiring no more than a high school education and job-specific training, such as food and beverage servers, flight attendants, and retail salespeople
• The applicant wants to train for a career in demand in a local community or provincial priority area

Please note Tropicana’s Employment Centre programs and services are available to residents of Ontario, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, convention refugees and refugee claimants with a valid work permit. Clients must be out of school/out of work or only working or studying part-time and not registered currently with any other community employment centre.