2024–2025 Services delivered: Women’s Economic Security Program (WESP)

Component: Economic Empowerment Program

Legislation: N/A

Service Description

• The Women’s Economic Security Program (WESP) is designed to provide employment, pre-employment, pre-apprenticeship and entrepreneurship training to equip low-income women with the skills, knowledge and experience to increase their income and economic security
• Training, programs and services are provided based on community-identified needs and to address labour market gaps in sectors where women have historically been underrepresented
• The program currently has four streams
  1. Women in Skilled Trades
  2. Women in Information Technology
  3. Women’s General Employment Training
  4. Entrepreneurship for Women’s Self-Employment
• The program includes mandatory program supports and services to help remove barriers to participation in and completion of the training programs

People Served

Low-income women including individuals from priority populations including Black, racialized, Indigenous, Francophone, newcomer, immigrant and refugee women, women who have experienced or are at risk of gender-based violence/sexual violence, women with disabilities, rural women, women aged 55+, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals who self-identify as women.

Program/Service Features

Mandatory Supports

• • All projects are required to ensure all participants can learn and work in a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, and abuse and that training and delivery staff are equipped with the knowledge and sensitivity to employ a gender and diversity lens when delivering services
• All projects are required to offer partnerships and mentorships to maximize employment and/or self-employment opportunities upon participant completion of training
• All projects must provide employability training that incorporates employability and workplace preparation (e.g., job search and interview skills, resume writing, employment standards, human rights and workplace health and safety training as well as workplace sensitivity/diversity and inclusion training)
• All projects are required to help remove barriers for low-income women’s participation in the training programs. Wraparound supports are mandatory and based on individual need and can include
  • Access to culturally responsive supports
  • Transportation to and from the training program
  • Food on site during the training
  • Assistance with childcare and caregiving responsibilities
  • Access to the internet where a need is demonstrated
  • Health and safety related materials including personal protective equipment (e.g., masks and gloves), hand sanitizer, disinfectant, etc
  • Essential stream specific training equipment/materials retained by students who successfully complete the program for the purpose of their ongoing learning, employment and/or are for the sole use of the participant (e.g., laptops, steel toe boots, toolkits etc.)
  • Referral to services and supports to address needs including legal, mental health and wellbeing, counselling, housing, etc
  • Training, education, tutoring, upskilling or workshops focused on helping participants become more knowledgeable and develop core competencies that are essential to their entry and retention in the program such as reading, writing, math and IT literacy

Specialized Gender-based Violence (GBV) Supports

• All projects have the option of offering specialized supports to participants who are survivors of, or are at risk of gender-based violence, in addition to the mandatory wrap around supports. Projects must include partnerships with appropriate project partners (e.g. women’s centres, shelters, sexual assault centres, etc.) to help deliver this project component
• The specialized GBV supports must provide participants with supports that may include but are not limited to
  • Culturally appropriate individual counselling/referral, risk assessments and safety planning
  • Specialized GBV module included in the training program
  • Moderated weekly support group
  • Information, advocacy and support/systems navigation
  • Workshops provided by professionals or trained specialists in working with individuals who have experienced gender-based violence

Training Stipend:

• All projects have the option of offering financial assistance to participants to offset expenses not covered by training and to address additional financial constraints and barriers that may prevent program completion. The training stipend is to be offered separately from wraparound supports, which are offered to help reduce barriers to accessing training

Specific service provided

Stream 1: Women in Skilled Trades Stream

In recognition of the fact that women are underrepresented in the skilled trades, this stream aims to support their entry to the sector. Funded organizations must ensure that training includes the following

• Focus on one principal trade and one or more related secondary trades
• Completion of Level 1 Apprenticeship In-School Curriculum Standards for the principal trade delivered by a provincially approved training delivery agent for the trade
• Work placement (minimum of 8 weeks to a maximum of 12 weeks) according to the MLITSD
• Multiple trade exposure through work placement(s) and/or other methods (e.g. job shadowing, mentoring, etc.)
• Training must not exceed 52 weeks (260 days in duration); and
• Include relevant safety training for the trade, (e.g. Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, Workplace Health and Safety, First Aid, etc.). All safety training must take place prior to the work placement
• Program graduates should be able to secure entry-level employment in the skilled trades sector, enroll in further training and certification, or become an apprentice in one of the skilled trades recognized by Skilled Trades Ontario

Stream 2: Women in Information Technology (IT) Stream

• Programs must include training and certification towards an industry-recognized certificate for IT related jobs. Participants must take part in exam preparation and take industry-recognized certification exams before completion of the program
• Programs must include a work placement at a minimum of 8 weeks to a maximum of 12 weeks where participants are provided with relevant and applicable work experience for a minimum of 8 weeks in the IT area in which they received training
• Program graduates should be able to secure entry-level or higher-level employment in the IT sector, enroll in further training and certification, or become an apprentice in one of the IT trades recognized by Skilled Trades Ontario

Stream 3: General Women’s Employment Training Stream

• Funded organizations provide employment training in sectors and fields that are a maximum of 12 months in length
• Stacked or bundled micro-credentials under this stream must focus on the development of a skill or set of skills that are in demand or fill a knowledge or labor gap, that will allow the participant to gain the vital skills relevant to the target occupation

Stream 4: Entrepreneurship for Women’s Self-Employment

• Funded organizations must ensure training includes, but is not limited to, the following components
  • Small or micro-business plan development
  • Financial literacy/budgeting/accounting
  • Product/service development and marketing
  • Customer acquisition
  • Tax, legal, government regulations and insurance guidance
• Mentorship
  • Funded organizations must ensure that participants are partnered with a mentor with experience in starting or expanding a small business or a micro-enterprise in a related field. Mentors should be able to share their knowledge and experiences in areas including
    • General sector information
    • Networking
    • Troubleshooting
    • Goal setting
• Access to Loans and Grants
  • Funded organizations must provide participants with support to access loans or grants. Loan or grant funding may be available through commercial or alternative lenders or other municipal, provincial, or federal granting programs

Program Goals

• To provide employment training, pre-apprenticeship training and entrepreneurship training specifically for low-income women to equip them with the skills, knowledge and experience toward becoming employed/self-employed and increase their income and economic security
• To provide training that is based on community-identified needs and address regional labour market gaps in sectors where women have historically been underrepresented such as the skilled trades, Information Technology and entrepreneurship
• To increase incomes and labour force attachment of women in Ontario who face multiple barriers
• To strengthen organizations' capacity to deliver on their mandates in innovative ways that support women in improving their economic security and encourage partnerships between women-centered community-based organizations, educational institutions, and businesses
• To collect information on best practices on implementing women-centered training programs including how best to support participants with intersectional barriers to achieve program outcomes

Ministry expectations

• All projects are to include information on risk factors for lethal violence and steps that can be taken to reduce this risk (e.g. providing referral information)

Reporting Requirements

The following service data as well as expenditures will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Additional data may be requested at the discretion of the Ministry. Please refer to your Transfer Payment Agreement for report back due dates and targets.