The province aims to remove barriers to enhance employment, business and entrepreneurship opportunities for Indigenous, Black and other racialized Ontarians.

Connecting newcomers and Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities to education, skills development and employment opportunities

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program

School boards are encouraged to promote apprenticeships and support students that have typically been underrepresented in the trades such as Indigenous, Black and other racialized individuals. In 2022, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development launched a pilot of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program in two First Nations schools. The pilot was expanded for the 2023–2024 school year to include eight First Nations schools.

Enhancing the Skills Development Fund to address challenges to hiring, training or retraining workers

The Skills Development Fund Training Stream offers funding to organizations for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training, or retaining workers, including apprentices, to drive Ontario's economic growth. This includes projects helping racialized persons and Indigenous peoples facing barriers to employment.

Last year, $246.6 million was invested in 170 projects to help over 69,000 participants build the skills they need to find jobs. Of those 170 projects, 103 projects specified Indigenous Peoples as one of their priority participant groups.

Literacy and Basic Skills

Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program gives adults in Ontario the opportunity to develop and apply communication, numeracy, interpersonal and digital skills. The program helps those who have goals to successfully transition to employment, postsecondary, apprenticeship, secondary school, and increased independence. The program focuses on helping adults who are immigrants or racialized, unemployed, receiving income support, with disabilities, and who have had contact with the justice system. In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, there were 5,044 new LBS learners who self-identified as racialized (up from 3,952 in the previous fiscal year), and 1,309 self-identified racialized learners reported being employed upon exiting the program (up from 1,034 in 2022–2023). As well, pilot projects funded through the federal Skills for Success program (for fiscal years 2022–2023 and 2023–2024) enhanced LBS programming for Indigenous learners.

Investing in Women’s Futures Program

The Investing in Women’s Futures Program helps women, including Indigenous, Black and other racialized women, across Ontario secure employment, start their own businesses or pursue further training or education.

The addition of 11 new sites since 2022–2023 brings the number of service delivery locations across the province to 34. This provides more women with greater access to the program and helps to reduce barriers, ensuring more women and gender diverse individuals have access to services to enhance their wellness and gain financial independence. These services include gender-based violence supports, life skills and employment training opportunities.

Indigenous Transportation Initiatives Fund

Launched in 2021, the Indigenous Transportation Initiatives Fund (ITIF) is open to Indigenous communities and organizations to apply for funding for local transportation-related projects. Safe and reliable transportation is essential to connecting First Nation communities with real opportunities that will improve health and economic wellness.

In 2023–2024, almost $584,000 was awarded through ITIF to 9 projects led by Indigenous communities and organizations in Ontario. In 2024–2025, almost $675,000 was awarded to 9 new projects. Since its launch, ITIF has helped fund:

  • the operation of public transit services
  • road and trail upgrades
  • driver’s licence support
  • technical training initiatives
  • the installation of safety measures
  • other community priorities

Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s People and Talent Program

The People and Talent Program's Indigenous Workforce Development stream was established to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s Indigenous workforce through business partnerships that offer internships to Indigenous persons. In 2023–2024, $3.25 million was invested to support 81 Indigenous Internships. So far in 2024–2025, more than $868,000 in funding has been approved to support 23 Indigenous Internships.

Supporting newcomers to Ontario

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development is investing $100 million in fiscal year 2024–2025 in settlement services that help over 150,000 newcomers annually. These services help newcomers connect and contribute to their communities through:

  • orientation and information services
  • needs assessment and referrals
  • language training
  • employment-related services

Newcomer settlement services

Newcomer settlement services provide multilingual and culturally appropriate services that include:

  • individualized needs assessments
  • information and assistance to access a variety of community and employment services
  • supports to effectively enter the labour market

In 2023–2024, over 120,000 newcomers and refugees received settlement supports and assistance to access:

  • housing
  • health care
  • education
  • training and employment services and resources

Ontario Bridge Training Program

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development funds 45 programs across Ontario to help highly skilled international immigrants overcome international qualification recognition barriers to find jobs where they can work to the full extent of their international education and experience.

In 2023–2024, 3,200 Ontarians received occupation-specific training, support for licensing requirements, work placements and mentoring. Approximately 23% (728) self-identified as belonging to a racialized group.

Adult Language Training

The Adult Language Training Program helps newcomers improve their English or French language skills to better communicate in their everyday life, find a job or go to school. The program provides:

  • language proficiency assessments
  • English and French as a Second Language from beginner to advanced levels
  • workplace and occupation-specific language and communication skills programming in sectors, such as:
    • personal support work
    • skilled trades
    • customer service
    • manufacturing

In 2023–2024, over 60,000 newcomers participated in language training programs.

Employment Services Transformation

The Employment Services Transformation is focused on delivering the highest quality employment and training services for the people of Ontario, including job seekers from newcomer, Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development measures outcomes, including key performance indicators (KPIs) for Black and other racialized communities and collects data using the Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systematic Racism, known as Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards.

Through this integrated system, with social assistance employment programs, Ontario Works - Employment Assistance and Ontario Disability Support Program - Employment Supports, into Employment Ontario, the ministry is looking to improve employment services so that more people who are unemployed or on social assistance can find long-term, meaningful work.

In some cases, the transformation is exceeding the ministry’s commitment to serve target groups. Compared to Statistics Canada population statistics, a larger portion of persons with disabilities, youth with higher needs, Francophones and Indigenous communities are being served.

Supporting Indigenous businesses, Black and other racialized businesses and entrepreneurs

Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) Grant Program

The RAISE Grant Program supports Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs by providing access to:

  • business development training
  • culturally responsive and tailored business coaching
  • networking opportunities
  • a one-time grant of $10,000

In 2023–2024, the program supported nearly 500 entrepreneurs in scaling their business through increasing customer reach, earnings and operational efficiency. By providing individualized services to participants throughout the program, the 2023–2024 round achieved a 95% completion rate. In 2024–2025, over 400 entrepreneurs are expected to be supported through the program.

Supporting Indigenous Economic Development

In June 2024, the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs became the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation to signal Ontario’s commitment to economic reconciliation.

Capacity Funding and Training Supports for Indigenous Economic Development Officers through Ontario First Nations Economic Developers Association

Ontario is investing $25 million from 2022–2025 to support First Nation communities’ economic development needs. This includes $6.8 million over 3 years to enhance training for Economic Development Officers and Indigenous businesses. As of February 2024, over 90 First Nation Economic Development departments and tribal councils have been successfully supported with critical capacity funding and equipment through the Ontario First Nations Economic Developers Association.

Loans and Grants to Indigenous businesses through Indigenous Financial Institutions

From 2022–2025, Ontario is providing $10 million to increase access to low-interest loans and grants of up to $50,000 for Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs in sectors such as:

  • construction
  • manufacturing
  • health and social services
  • tourism

E-Commerce Grants through Indigenous Financial Institutions to support digitization

From 2022–2025, Ontario is providing $2.5 million over 3 years to increase digitization and support e-commerce development for small to medium size Indigenous businesses, including the growth of start-ups and early-stage online businesses. Now in its third year, demand for continued e-commerce grants is high among many Indigenous Financial Institutions.

Creating public- and private-sector partnerships to support communities and grow Ontario’s economy

Small Business Enterprise Centres

Ontario’s 47 Small Business Enterprise Centres (SBECs) provide entrepreneurs and small businesses, including Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs, with access to information and expertise to help them start, grow or purchase a business.

In 2023–2024, Ontario SBECs supported over 37,000 entrepreneurs with consultations. In addition, with the help of Starter Company Plus and Summer Company, Ontario SBECs created 1,623 jobs and helped 1,437 participants to start, grow or purchase a business. On top of ongoing funding for the 47 SBECs, Ontario is investing an additional $6.8 million over the next 2 years to enhance the Starter Company Plus program and support the Summer Company program.