Applications Now Open for Next Round of Onatario Skills Development Fund

December 1, 2024

The Ontario government has launched the second round of its Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream, with over $74 million in available funding to build, expand and retrofit training facilities for workers in the trades, including construction, manufacturing, technology and health care. Since the province launched the Skills Development Fund in 2021, Ontario is building training facilities and providing training programs that are projected to support over one million workers across the province.

“Our government has an ambitious plan to build Ontario – from new housing that families can call home, to highways and public transit connecting our communities, to clean energy projects powering our economy,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “With a new, second round of our Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, we are going to kick Ontario’s training capacity into high-gear, training over one million workers for in-demand careers in every corner of Ontario.”

Building on the success of the SDF Capital Stream announced in 2023, Ontario opened a second round today, November 29, 2024, with an enhanced, streamlined application process that includes a new SEED pathway to help with the upfront costs of developing construction proposals, such as design drawings and technical plans. This addresses the needs of businesses and training providers who may lack the in-house capacity to develop complex construction plans. As a further improvement, the Capital Stream will now also accept funding proposals all year round, which enables faster application reviews.

This new funding round brings Ontario’s total investment through the Skills Development Fund to up to $1.4 billion. As Ontario continues to grow, the SDF will help ensure skilled workers are trained and ready to enter rewarding careers in in-demand sectors in the province.

Quick Facts

• SDF comprises of two streams: the Training Stream supports hiring, training and upskilling programs for jobseekers, apprentices and workers; and the Capital Stream supports upgrades or construction of training centres for the skilled trades. The total investment for both streams is to up to $1.4 billion.
• SDF Capital Stream Round 2 will open today, November 29, and will allow a continuous intake of applications. This improved application process allows interested organizations to apply year-round through Transfer Payment Ontario. Inquiries can be sent to: SDFCapitalProgram@ontario.ca.
• The new SEED pathway of the Capital Stream will help fund the development of capital plans for training facilities and will complement the already established GROW pathway that will continue to support projects to build, upgrade and expand new training infrastructure.
• Organizations that are interested in submitting a proposal for either the SEED or GROW pathways will be able to review the SDF Capital Stream application guidelines at https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/on00540.
• Since its launch in 2023, Ontario’s SDF Capital Stream has been supporting renovation and construction projects that aim to help almost 250,000 workers train for in-demand sectors.
• The SDF Training Stream supports hiring, training and upskilling projects for jobseekers, apprentices and workers. Round 5 of the SDF Training Stream closed on October 11, 2024 and over 800 applications for funding were submitted.
• The Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund is exclusively funded by the Government of Ontario.

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