Better Jobs Ontario

What is Better Jobs Ontario?

Ontario's new Better Jobs Ontario program (formerly known as Second Career) may help you retrain for a new in-demand career. Accepted students can access up to $28,000 in paid support for tuition, living expenses, and more.

If you are an Ontario resident who has been unemployed for six months or more, a laid-off worker, or a gig worker, you may qualify for Better Jobs Ontario.

Contact us to request an appointment to meet with an Employment Consultant. We'll help you figure out if you qualify!

ces [at] mohawkcollege.ca (subject: Better%20Jobs%20Ontario%20Consultation) (Book a consultation)

Who qualifies for Better Jobs Ontario?

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 any of the following:

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

Laid-off due to COVID-19?

While the Better Jobs Ontario program is open to unemployed job seekers, a fast-track stream is available if you were laid-off because of COVID-19 and want to retrain for jobs in sectors that have potential future employment.

If your application meets all the following criteria, you will go through a faster approval process, giving you access to training sooner:

  • You were laid off on or after March 1, 2020
  • You have a high school education or less; you 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 salespersons
  • You were laid-off from an industry hit hard by the pandemic, such as hospitality and food services, transportation and warehousing or wholesale and retail trade
  • You want to train for a career in demand in a local community or provincial priority area

Applicants applying to Mohawk College for Better Jobs Ontario

Once you have received your acceptance to the college, it is advised that you reach out to coach [at] mohawkcollege.ca (coach[at]mohawkcollege[dot]ca) to identify yourself as a Better Jobs Ontario applicant. It is important you include your name, Mohawk ID and your program of study in the communication (this can be found on your offer of admission and/or your acknowledgement letter). It is important that Better Jobs Ontario applicants identify themselves to the college, as they are not required to pay a deposit to secure their seat. The college will work alongside the applicant for support and will hold their seat while the applicant prepares and submits their contract. Once Better Jobs Ontario applicants have their approvals in place, you are required to submit pages 6/7 to Accounts Receivable at accounts.receivable [at] mohawkcollege.ca (accounts[dot]receivable[at]mohawkcollege[dot]ca). If you reach out to the college for support, please identify yourself as a Better Jobs Ontario applicant so we can deliver the best information possible to support your needs. 

Continuing Education: Some Continuing Education programs can qualify. Continuing Education Program Search.