Ontario government investing $70 million in POWER Centres and Better Jobs Ontario

Aug. 20, 2025, 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.

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, the province reported in a press statement.

The government is also investing an additional $50 million in 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.

“Ontario has the best workers in the world. When their livelihoods are threatened by decisions in Washington, we won’t leave them behind,” said Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, in a media release. “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.”