ONTARIO NEWS RELEASE: Ontario Investing $70 Million to Protect Workers Affected by U.S. Tariffs

HAMILTON — The Ontario government is delivering on its plan to protect Ontario workers by investing $70 million in expanded training and employment services for those affected by U.S. tariffs and policies. This funding includes support for the province’s Protect Ontario Workers Employment Response (POWER) Centres, which builds on and enhances existing ministry-supported action centres. The province is also providing enhancements to Better Jobs Ontario (BJO) to help more job seekers quickly train and upskill for in-demand, good-paying careers. Together, these supports will help workers secure better jobs with bigger paycheques and become part of a strong and resilient Ontario workforce.

“Ontario has the best workers in the world. When their livelihoods are threatened by decisions in Washington, we won’t leave them behind,” said Premier Doug Ford. “By investing $70 million in new training and rapid-response centres, we’re making sure that workers can retrain fast, land good-paying jobs and get back to work building a stronger, more resilient Ontario that can stand up to anything that comes our way.”

The government is investing $20 million in POWER Centres. These enhanced centres will provide access to training, upskilling and employment services to workers affected by, or at risk of, layoffs. By building and expanding on partnerships with unions, community organizations, colleges and universities, the centres will connect workers to more training opportunities, jobs search assistance and Employment Ontario programs. For the first time, the province will be able to launch centres proactively before a layoff has occurred with the added ability to respond within 24 hours.

“We’re helping Ontario workers get the training and support they need, when they need it the most,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “As we adapt to global economic shifts, our government is meeting the moment with a plan to protect our workforce and give them the training and tools they need to land secure, good-paying jobs.”

The government is also investing an additional $50 million in Better Jobs Ontario (BJO) to expand access to vocational and skills training for in-demand jobs. This will help job seekers, including those facing challenges finding a stable job (like youth and people on social assistance), with up to $35,000 for costs such as tuition, transportation and child care.

“We are very proud of the great work our current Action Centres do, providing peer-to-peer advice and assistance to workers who lose their jobs. Each year they help over 1,000 laid-off workers,” said Kevon Stewart, Director, District 6 and Atlantic Canada, United Steelworkers (USW). “We are very excited to see that Minister Piccini and this government are enhancing their ability to help workers through the POWER Centres program, which will not only enable us to create new Action Centres and proactively respond to upcoming layoffs, but also provide more stable funding and allow the existing Job Action Centres to provide additional services.”

These investments are part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario workers by investing in training and reskilling to give workers the tools they need to land rewarding, good-paying jobs while strengthening Ontario’s economy to make our province the most competitive jurisdiction in the G7.