The Ontario government is increasing financial supports available and simplifying the application process for individuals applying to the Second Career program. As the province’s economy begins to reopen, these changes will make it easier for laid-off and unemployed workers to pursue training and start new and better careers.

Details were shared today by Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, who was joined by Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor.

“Increasing support for laid-off and unemployed workers is key to our mission of spreading opportunity more fairly and widely,” said Minister McNaughton. “No worker will be left behind in our recovery. Through improvements like these, our single focus is on giving hardworking men and women the tools they need to start a good job and make a better living for themselves and their families.”

As of today, laid-off and unemployed workers will experience a faster Second Career application process. They will no longer need to provide burdensome amounts of documentation to get funding. The program is increasing weekly basic living supports for rent, mortgage and other expenses up to $500 a week. Additionally, transportation and child care supports are being enhanced to better reflect the costs that people currently face.

These new changes follow improvements the government made to this program in December 2020. In the first five months of 2021, 2,092 workers started training through Second Career, an increase of 109 per cent in comparison to the same period last year.

Second Career is one of many training programs that the Employment Ontario network of employment service providers is offering online and at about 700 locations across the province. These services are free for job seekers, workers and employers and help boost training, employment and economic prosperity in Ontario.