Please note:
Conestoga students and international graduates: visit the Student Success Portal to book an appointment with a Talent Hub career advisor.
If you're an international graduate who cannot access the Student Success Portal, email talenthub@conestogac.on.ca.
The Community Career Centre does not offer services to students and international graduates.
Choosing a new career path is a major life decision. Some people know exactly what they want to do while others are overwhelmed by choices. Community Career Centre advisors can help you make an educated choice that will suit your life and financial expectations.
What is Better Jobs Ontario (formerly Second Career)?
Better Jobs Ontario funding is available through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). It can help laid-off workers or people who may face challenges finding stable jobs, who will benefit from skills training to find work in the current labour market. Funding can help an applicant with the costs of tuition, books, living expenses and other costs associated with the training to build skills for a new career.
This Employment Ontario service is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario and through the Canada-Ontario Job Fund Agreement.
Who is eligible for funding?*
You may be eligible to apply for Better Jobs Ontario if you either:
- have been laid off and are not working, or working a temporary job just to cover costs, or
- have not been laid off but have been unemployed for six months or longer and are part of a low-income household
While the Better Jobs Ontario program is open to all laid-off workers, the Ontario government made some targeted changes to the program by introducing two new streams that make it easier and faster for laid-off workers to access the program:
- laid off in one of the sectors most impacted by COVID-19 on or after March 1, 2020
- laid off from a job in the manufacturing sector on or after January 1, 2019
* Speak with a Community Career Centre advisor to be certain Better Jobs Ontario is an option for you based on your situation. Some conditions and exceptions apply.
Which programs are eligible?
In addition to you being eligible for Better Jobs Ontario, the program(s) of study must also be eligible. Training must:
- be provided by a recognized training provider,
- lead to a NOC B or C skill set, and
- take 52 weeks or less, including micro-credential programs.
Conestoga has many eligible programs. Contact a Community Career Centre advisor to discuss eligibility and admission requirements of programs you are considering at Conestoga or another training provider.
Academic Upgrading may also be beneficial and eligible for Better Jobs Ontario funding. Discuss these options with a Community Career Centre advisor if you:
- do not meet the post-secondary admission requirements
- do not have your Grade 12, or
- are concerned about your academic skills.
How to apply
To learn if you are eligible for Better Jobs Ontario funding, you must be assessed and work through an Employment Ontario Employment Services (EOES) provider. Community Career Centre advisors can help you assess your needs, work through the guidelines, and research your options. We will help you complete all the requirements needed to finish your application and submit it to MLITSD.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Community Career Centre:
- by email: waterloocareercentre@conestogac.on.ca
- by phone: 519-885-0300, ext. 5226
