TORONTO, August 12, 2026 – The Ontario government announced on August 12 that it will invest more than $10.9 million through the Skills Development Fund to support 10 health-care training projects. The funding is expected to help nearly 2,000 workers and job seekers receive training and prepare for careers in the health-care sector.
The projects involve in-demand health-care roles such as nurses, personal support workers, or PSWs, and medical laboratory technologists. In addition to classroom training, some projects will also provide placements, mentorship and employment supports.
Among the recipients, Windmill Microlending will receive about $1.805 million to help approximately 1,100 internationally trained newcomers and refugees in the Greater Toronto Area re-enter the labour market, including in the health-care sector. Prime+Care Health Centre will receive about $498,000 to provide PSW training for 30 residents from underserved communities, including classroom learning and clinical placements. People interested in participating will need to apply directly to the relevant organizations based on each project’s requirements.
The funding also comes amid current labour market conditions. The latest Statistics Canada data shows that Ontario added about 52,000 jobs in July, but its unemployment rate remained at 6.8 per cent, higher than the national rate of 6.4 per cent. Nationally, about 20.8 per cent of unemployed people found work within one month. Although that figure improved from last year, it remained below the pre-pandemic level for the same period.
Canada’s health-care sector has long faced staffing shortages. At the same time, many newcomers with relevant professional experience have difficulty entering their field in Canada. One major reason is that foreign education, credentials and professional licences are often not directly recognized.
Ontario has also been increasing training spaces in health-care-related fields in recent years. In May, the province announced additional university and college spaces in high-demand programs, including health-care programs, in an effort to ease long-standing shortages in some medical occupations. This latest round of training projects is intended not only to add workers to the health-care sector, but also to help some people with relevant backgrounds return to professional roles.
For people looking for work or considering a career change, this round of projects provides more opportunities to enter the health-care field. Application requirements, timelines and available spaces for each training project will be released by the relevant organizations.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
