[Canada-wide] Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative - funding program

Quick facts

• This initiative is delivered through the Community Workforce Development Program, a program that puts communities at the heart of determining their economic futures.
• Funding for the Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative was first announced in the 2022 Fall Economic Statement as additional support to existing federal, provincial and territorial programming to support Canadian workers. Employment and Social Development Canada has $30 million over two years (2024–2025 and 2025–2026) to support communities and workers affected by unforeseen economic events. 
• This initiative will complement existing federal, provincial, or territorial programs such as labour market transfer agreements and Employment Insurance that provide a range of supports to assist workers in the context of unforeseen economic events.

The Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative supports workforce planning and skills training in communities significantly impacted by a mass layoff. It provides funding for community-based projects that help workers develop the skills they need to transition to new jobs.

Application period:

Eligible organizations can apply to this continuous intake by submitting an expression of interest. Applications will be accepted until funding has been fully committed.

Who can apply:

Not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, municipal governments, Indigenous organizations or governments, and educational institutions.

How to apply: 

If you believe that your organization is eligible based on the criteria outlined below, please email EDSC.DGOP.ICPPPE-CROI.POB.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca. Your email must include:

• date of mass layoff(s).
• location(s) of layoff by postal code.
• number of individuals laid off. If your request is for multiple locations, please indicate the number at each location by postal code.
• the three-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code or sub-industry for the business or employer where the layoff occurred. Please refer to Statistics Canada for guidance.

Please note that we can't accept links to cloud or SharePoint versions and password protected applications.

We will confirm your eligibility to submit a project application within 3-4 business days.

Eligible organizations will be invited to apply for funding. Only organizations that meet all the criteria in the Eligibility section will be invited to apply.

Organizations invited to apply must submit a complete application within 20 business days to be considered for this funding opportunity.

We will assess other criteria at the application phase. An invitation to apply does not guarantee success.

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