Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister
Employment and Training Division
777 Bay Street, 26th Floor
Toronto ON M5G 2E5
To: Employment Ontario Delivery Partners
From: David Carter-Whitney, Assistant Deputy Minister, Employment and Training Division Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Date: November 16, 2020
Subject: Group Sponsorship Grant
Dear Employment Ontario delivery partner,
I am writing to inform you about a new program that was announced by the government in the recent provincial budget.
The new Group Sponsorship Grant will provide support to small-to-medium sized employers and group sponsors that hire, register and train apprentices, promoting participation in the skilled trades and apprenticeship system.
Please share this information with employers and related organizations within your networks that may benefit from this grant. Details are provided below.
The Group Sponsorship Grant (GSG) is a grant-based program that will encourage employers, unions, trainers and other organizations to collaboratively train apprentices and help guide their skills in meeting the demands of Ontario’s economy. The program is open to a broad range of applicants that could be involved in apprentice training. The GSG program will support activities such as on-the-job and in-class trades readiness; on-the-job mentoring supports; and recruitment and retention of apprentices and employees.
The group sponsorship model allows employers and other organizations to share apprenticeship management and training responsibilities and provide collaborative training opportunities to apprentices. The model streamlines administration, structures training and reduces the pressure on any one employer to train an apprentice in all aspects of a trade.
Overall, group sponsor employers will benefit from reduced administration costs, and apprentices will be provided with greater exposure to a range of on-the-job experiences.
As of today, eligible organizations can start applying for the grant. Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year.
For more information about the grant, including questions and answers, program guidelines and information on how to apply, please visit the Employment Ontario Partners’ Gateway.
The government recognizes that there is a need to increase business participation in apprenticeship training in order to address Ontario’s labour market needs. We encourage you to use the resources provided to help encourage apprentice registrations and completions by promoting awareness of the grant within your networks.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any further questions, please contact your ministry local office.
Sincerely,
Original signed by David Carter-Whitney Assistant Deputy Minister, Employment and Training Division, Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development
