“Across our province, there is a need for more PSWs to help take care of those in our community who need it most,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “That is why our government is investing in programs that connect people who have had difficulty finding work with free training and paid job placements in critical industries that are close to where they live.”
The Grow Your Own HSW-PSW Partnership Program is being offered in Lambton County, the City of Sarnia, Essex County, the City of Windsor, and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
“The partnership of Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services, Ontario Works and the municipalities of Windsor and Lambton County is a model of how to address the shortage of essential health care workers,” said Darrin Canniff, Mayor of Chatham-Kent. “The program has provided 26 long-term care homes and health care providers with immediate and long-term staff at a time when we are reminded of how important these positions are to our community.”
The program, which is focused on training Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients and others who have been laid off, is 30 weeks long and features a mix of online, in-person, and on-the-job training.
Participants are paid by employers throughout the program and can also receive up to $3,000 to offset costs like travel and childcare. After finishing the training, graduates will be ready to begin rewarding, full-time careers as PSWs with their respective employers.
Today’s investment is part of Ontario’s over $200-million Skills Development Fund designed to support fresh ideas for training and skills development that will help our economy recover and prosper. It builds on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support, and protect workers, making Ontario the top place in the world to work, live and raise a family.