Ontario Training Grants for Employers: What Is Open in 2026 and What Closed
Five programs, current status, real amounts. Verified against ontario.ca and canada.ca this month.
Most lists of Ontario training grants are out of date, and the ones circulating right now are worse than usual because three of the main programs changed status in 2026. If you are an Ontario employer trying to work out what you can actually apply for today, that matters more than the funding percentages: a program that is closed is worth nothing regardless of how generous it looks on paper.
This page lists the five programs an Ontario employer is most likely to encounter, states plainly whether each one is open or closed as at August 2026, and gives the real amounts for the ones you can still use. For most employers reading this, the Ontario Job Grant is the one that will actually apply.
What changed in 2026: the Canada-Ontario Job Grant was retired and relaunched as the Ontario Job Grant. The Skills Development Fund Training Stream closed to applications. The Canada Summer Jobs 2026 employer intake closed in December 2025.
Two of those three are still listed as open on plenty of third-party grant directories. Check the status column in the table below before you build a budget around any of them.
Ontario Job Grant Ajax employers — at a glance:
- The Ontario Job Grant replaced the Canada-Ontario Job Grant in 2026 and is open year-round through Employment Ontario.
- Employers with fewer than 100 staff can have up to 83.3 per cent of eligible third-party training costs covered, to a maximum of $10,000 CAD per trainee.
- Employers with 100 or more staff receive 50 per cent, while a previously unemployed new hire at a small employer can attract up to $15,000 CAD.
- The Ontario Job Grant does not fund apprenticeship training, so apprenticeship sponsors use the Achievement Incentive and the federal Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit instead.
- Ajax and Durham Region employers apply under the same Ontario Job Grant rules as every other Ontario employer, with no local rate or separate application.
All Five Programs at a Glance
Here is the whole landscape in one table, with current status first because that is the column that decides whether the rest matters. Amounts are in Canadian dollars and reflect what the administering government published as at August 2026.
| Program | Status | What it funds | How much | Who administers it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-Ontario Job Grant) | Open year-round | Third-party training for existing staff or new hires | Up to 83.3 per cent under 100 employees; 50 per cent at 100 or more. Max $10,000 per trainee, $15,000 for a previously unemployed new hire at a small employer | Employment Ontario |
| Achievement Incentive | Open | Milestone payments to employers who sponsor apprentices | Up to $17,000 per apprentice, paid at registration, in-class levels and certification | Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development |
| Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit | Open | Federal tax credit for employing Red Seal apprentices | 10 per cent of apprentice salary, max $2,000 per year per apprentice, first 2 years | Canada Revenue Agency |
| Skills Development Fund, Training Stream | Closed | Large training projects run by employers, associations and partners | Not applicable while closed | Employment Ontario |
| Canada Summer Jobs | Closed for 2026 | Wage subsidy for hiring youth for summer positions | Up to 100 per cent of minimum wage for not-for-profits; up to 50 per cent for private employers with 50 or fewer full-time staff | Employment and Social Development Canada |
Status and figures verified against ontario.ca and canada.ca in August 2026. The Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, which funds training facilities rather than training itself, remains open and is covered below. Programs change; re-check before applying.
Ontario Job Grant Ajax Employers: The Main Option for Training Your Staff
The Ontario Job Grant reimburses eligible employers for third-party training delivered to their employees, and it is the program most Ontario businesses mean when they say training grant. It replaced the Canada-Ontario Job Grant in 2026, applications are accepted year-round through Employment Ontario, and current intake covers employers training 25 or fewer participants with one open application at a time.
| Your situation | You contribute | Government covers | Cap per trainee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 100 employees, existing staff | At least one-sixth | Up to 83.3 per cent | $10,000 CAD |
| Fewer than 100 employees, previously unemployed new hire | No minimum required | Up to 100 per cent | $15,000 CAD |
| 100 or more employees | Half | 50 per cent | $10,000 CAD |
Ontario Job Grant funding rates, ontario.ca, verified August 2026.
Two conditions catch people out. The training has to be delivered by an eligible third-party provider and finish within 52 weeks, and several categories are excluded outright, including training you are legally required to provide, vendor or product-specific training, executive programs such as an MBA, and business consulting. Whether a given management or leadership program qualifies is assessed case by case, so get it confirmed in writing before you commit. Our full Ontario Job Grant guide for Oshawa employers covers eligibility, the seven-step application process and the reasons applications get rejected.
Not sure which program applies to you?
A 30-minute call gets you a straight read on which funding fits your situation and what to confirm with Employment Ontario before you spend anything.
Book a Discovery CallOr call 416.669.7644, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Apprenticeship Funding: Two Programs That Stack
Employers who sponsor apprentices can claim two separate supports at the same time, one provincial and one federal, and together they are considerably more generous than the Job Grant on a per-person basis. This matters for Durham Region manufacturers, trades contractors and utilities, where apprenticeship is the normal training route.
| Program | What triggers a payment | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Achievement Incentive (provincial) | Registering a new apprentice who is under 25 and/or from an under-represented group | $1,000 CAD, up to $2,000 CAD if both apply |
| Achievement Incentive (provincial) | Each level of in-class training completed, up to 4 levels | $1,000 CAD per level, plus additional milestone payments for apprentices under 25 or from under-represented groups |
| Achievement Incentive (provincial) | Apprentice achieves their highest certification | $1,000 CAD, plus additional amounts for apprentices under 25 or from under-represented groups |
| Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (federal) | Employing an apprentice in a Red Seal trade, first 2 years | 10 per cent of salary, max $2,000 CAD per year per apprentice |
Achievement Incentive payments total up to $17,000 CAD per apprentice across all milestones. Figures from ontario.ca and the Canada Revenue Agency, verified August 2026. Exact entitlements depend on the apprentice's profile and progression, so confirm your own numbers before budgeting.
Skills Development Fund: The Training Stream Is Closed
The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is closed to applications, and ontario.ca states plainly that the application period has now closed. This is the single most common piece of outdated advice circulating about Ontario training funding, because the program ran several high-profile intakes and is still listed as open on numerous third-party grant sites.
The Capital Stream remains active, but it funds something different: renovations, retrofits, expansions and new construction of training facilities, rather than the cost of training people. It is aimed at organizations building training capacity, including employers, non-profits, trade unions, employer associations, municipalities and hospitals, often with a college or school board as co-applicant. If you are a Durham Region employer looking to put six managers through a program, this is not your program. If you are building a training centre, it is worth a conversation.
Canada Summer Jobs: The 2026 Employer Intake Has Closed
Canada Summer Jobs is a federal wage subsidy for hiring young people into summer positions, and the 2026 employer intake closed in December 2025, so it cannot be applied for now. When it is open, not-for-profit employers can receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial minimum wage plus mandatory employment costs, while private-sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time staff and public-sector employers receive up to 50 per cent of minimum wage.
The application window for the following year has not been published. The two most recent cycles both opened in the autumn and closed in December, so autumn is a reasonable planning assumption, but it is an assumption rather than a published date and should be confirmed on canada.ca rather than relied on.
Which Program Fits Your Situation?
The right program is decided almost entirely by what you are funding, not by which one pays the most. Match your situation to the row below, then confirm the detail with the administering body before you spend.
| What you want to do | Program to look at | Realistic expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Train managers or staff you already employ | Ontario Job Grant | Up to 83.3 per cent under 100 employees, 50 per cent above that, $10,000 cap per person |
| Train a new hire who was previously unemployed | Ontario Job Grant | Up to 100 per cent for small employers, $15,000 cap, signed job offer required |
| Take on and train an apprentice | Achievement Incentive plus the federal tax credit | Milestone payments to a maximum of $17,000 per apprentice, plus 10 per cent of salary for Red Seal trades |
| Hire a student for the summer | Canada Summer Jobs | Currently closed; watch canada.ca for the next window |
| Build or renovate a training facility | Skills Development Fund, Capital Stream | Open, but aimed at capital projects, usually with partners |
Compiled by Gurley Leadership Solutions from published program information, August 2026.
What are you trying to fund?
How many people does your business employ?
This points you at the right program based on published rules. It is not an eligibility assessment or an approval, and program status can change. Confirm with the administering body before spending.
How This Works in Durham Region
None of these programs has a Durham Region rate, a local allocation or a separate application, so an employer in Ajax is treated identically to one in Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering or Clarington. What is local is delivery: Employment Ontario services are delivered through providers across Durham Region, and the training providers you can realistically use in Ajax, Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering or Clarington are the ones who will come to your site. Ontario Job Grant Ajax applications are assessed against exactly the same rules as those from Oshawa or Whitby. The Ontario Job Grant is province-wide, so there is no separate Ajax allocation and no local top-up rate.
| Identical in every Durham community | What actually varies locally |
|---|---|
| Funding rates, percentages and caps | Which Employment Ontario provider serves your area |
| Employer and trainee eligibility rules | Which training providers can deliver in person at your facility |
| Application process, portal and timelines | Travel time and scheduling around your operating hours |
| Which training is eligible and excluded | Local sector mix, such as manufacturing in Oshawa or logistics near the 401 |
If a provider tells you there is a special local grant rate for your city, ask them to show you where it is published.
Gurley Leadership Solutions is based in Ajax and works with employers across Durham Region. We help clients assemble the training-side documentation an application needs for our LMI Canada programs, including course outlines, cost breakdowns and instructor qualifications. For what the programs themselves involve, see our guides to leadership development in Ajax and Oshawa.
Mistakes That Cost Employers Funding
Nearly every funding problem traces back to acting on out-of-date information or assuming eligibility instead of confirming it. These are the ones worth guarding against.
| The mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Budgeting around a program that has closed | Check the status on the government site, not a grant directory |
| Assuming 83.3 per cent applies to every employer | Confirm your headcount tier; at 100 or more employees it is 50 per cent |
| Applying for the Ontario Job Grant to train an apprentice | Use the apprenticeship programs; the Ontario Job Grant excludes apprenticeship training |
| Booking and paying for training before approval | Wait for the decision, or negotiate a cancellation clause |
| Assuming your preferred trainer is an eligible provider | Ask the ministry to confirm the provider and program in writing |
| Relying on last year's article about Ontario grants | Three of five programs here changed status in 2026 alone |
Compiled by Gurley Leadership Solutions from published program requirements, August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the job grants available in Ontario?
Three are open to employers as at August 2026: the Ontario Job Grant for third-party staff training, the Achievement Incentive for employers sponsoring apprentices, and the federal Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit. The Skills Development Fund Training Stream and the Canada Summer Jobs 2026 employer intake are both closed, though the Skills Development Fund Capital Stream remains open for facility projects.
Is the Skills Development Fund still accepting applications?
The Training Stream is closed. Ontario states that the application period for the Skills Development Fund Training Stream has now closed, so employers cannot currently apply to it for training projects. The Capital Stream, which funds building and renovating training facilities rather than delivering training, remains active.
How much is the Ontario Job Grant worth?
Up to $10,000 CAD per trainee, or $15,000 CAD for a previously unemployed new hire at a small employer. Employers with fewer than 100 employees contribute at least one-sixth of the cost, so funding reaches up to 83.3 per cent, while employers with 100 or more employees receive 50 per cent. Approval rests with Employment Ontario.
Can I get funding for hiring an apprentice in Ontario?
Yes, through two programs that can be claimed together. The provincial Achievement Incentive pays milestone amounts to sponsoring employers, up to $17,000 CAD per apprentice across registration, in-class levels and certification. The federal Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit adds 10 per cent of the apprentice's salary, to a maximum of $2,000 CAD per year for the first two years in Red Seal trades.
Can I apply for more than one training grant at the same time?
It depends on the combination. The apprenticeship supports are designed to work together, but the Ontario Job Grant excludes employers already receiving other government funding for the same or substantially similar training, and it allows only one open application per employer at a time. Stacking different programs for different purposes is normal; stacking two for the same training is not.
Does the Canada Summer Jobs program still exist?
Yes, but the 2026 employer intake closed in December 2025, so applications are not open right now. When open, not-for-profits can receive up to 100 per cent of minimum wage plus mandatory employment costs, and private employers with 50 or fewer full-time staff up to 50 per cent. The next application window has not been published; watch canada.ca.
Do training grants work differently in Durham Region?
No. Every program here is provincial or federal, with identical rates, caps and rules in Ajax, Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering, Clarington and everywhere else in Ontario. There is no Durham allocation or local rate. The only local variables are which Employment Ontario provider serves you and which training providers can deliver at your site.
The Final Word
The most valuable thing you can know about Ontario training funding right now is which programs are actually open, because two of the five most commonly recommended are not. If you are training people you already employ, the Ontario Job Grant is your route and the amount depends on your headcount, and an Ontario Job Grant Ajax application follows the same provincial process. If you are sponsoring apprentices, the apprenticeship supports are more generous and can be claimed together. Everything else on this page is either closed or built for a different purpose. Verify status before you budget, and get eligibility confirmed in writing before you sign anything.
Planning training for a Durham Region team?
Get a clear read on which funding applies, what a program costs, and exactly what to confirm before you commit.
Book a Discovery Call416.669.7644 · Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
About Malcolm Gurley
Malcolm Gurley is President of Gurley Leadership Solutions Inc., based in Ajax, Ontario, working with employers across Durham Region. He compiled this page directly from published program information on ontario.ca and canada.ca in August 2026, alongside 35+ years of experience delivering training to Ontario employers. Nothing here is a funding approval, a tax opinion or legal advice; eligibility and funding decisions rest with the administering government bodies.
Sources and References
- Ontario Job Grant, Government of Ontario
- Skills Development Fund, Government of Ontario
- Financial supports for apprentices and sponsors, Government of Ontario
- Skills Development Fund Training Stream, Employment Ontario Partners' Gateway
- Canada Summer Jobs, Government of Canada
Related Reading
- Canada-Ontario Job Grant for Oshawa Employers: How to Get Up to 83.3% of Training Costs Covered
- How Do I Apply for the Ontario Job Grant? Step-by-Step Guide
- Leadership Development and Executive Training in Ajax, Ontario
- Leadership Development and Executive Training in Oshawa, Ontario
- Leadership Development, Executive Leadership Training and Lean Six Sigma in Durham Region
This page summarizes publicly available program information as at August 2026 and is provided for general guidance only. It is not legal, tax, financial or funding advice, and it is not an application or a guarantee of funding. Program rules, rates, statuses and intake windows change frequently; always confirm current requirements with the administering body before making commitments.
