Ontario Announces Additional Funding for Training Seats for In-Demand Careers
October 19, 2026
The Ontario government has allocated 40,000 new funded seats at publicly assisted colleges and universities to connect more students to good-paying, in-demand careers. This allocation, which is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment to support a total of 70,000 new seats, supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario and build a more competitive economy by continuing to develop a world-class workforce. The high-demand areas that are receiving additional seats include programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), health care, education and trades, with seats available for student enrollment as early as the fall 2026 academic year.
The allocation of the first 30,000 seats was announced in May 2026, at which time a call for proposals was launched for the remaining 40,000 new seats. Colleges and universities worked with their local communities and industries to identify programs that will prepare students for in-demand jobs and meet regional labour market needs. Ontario evaluated proposals based on institutional capacity, local industry needs and student demand to ensure the greatest impact on workforce development and economic growth.
In total, the newly funded seats include:
- 40,200 more seats in STEM programs
- 16,100 more seats in health care programs
- 7,900 more seats in education programs
- 3,800 more seats in trades programs
- 3,000 more seats in other, labour-market driven programs
The 4,128 newly funded seats at the University of Ottawa include:
- 2,494 seats for STEM programs
- 1,319 seats for health programs
- 315 seats for education programs
The 2,328 newly funded seats at Carleton University include:
- 1,220 seats for STEM programs
- 281 seats for health programs
- 827 seats in other labour-market driven programs
The 1,118 newly funded seats at Collège La Cité include:
- 276 seats for STEM programs
- 272 seats for health programs
- 178 seats for education programs
- 163 seats for trades programs
- 229 seats in other labour-market driven programs
The 987 newly funded seats at Georgian College include:
- 668 seats for health programs
- 178 seats for STEM programs
- 80 seats for trades programs
- 44 seats for education programs
- 17 seats for other, labour-market driven programs
The 1,062 newly funded seats at Lakehead University include:
- 830 seats for STEM programs
- 225 seats for education programs
- 7 seats for health programs
The 250 newly funded seats at Confederation College include:
- 132 seats for health programs
- 73 seats for trades programs
- 45 seats for STEM programs
The 6,269 newly funded seats at the University of Guelph include:
- 5,616 seats for STEM programs
- 653 seats for trades programs
The 1,504 newly funded seats at Trent University include:
- 1,081 seats for STEM programs
- 163 seats for education programs
- 126 seats for health programs
- 134 seats in other labour-market driven programs
The 1,672 newly funded seats at the University of Windsor include:
- 654 seats for STEM programs
- 549 seats for health programs
- 469 seats for education programs
The 297 newly funded seats at Lambton College include:
- 160 seats for health programs
- 90 seats for STEM programs
- 47 seats for trades programs
This expansion at the aforementioned Ontario colleges and universities aims to ensure students in Ottawa can access the education they need to launch rewarding, in-demand careers, while ensuring Ontario’s world-class institutions can continue producing one of the most competitive workforces in the G7 for generations to come.
