Canadian Government Funding: New Premier Promises Brighter Future

On February 15^th Ontario’s new premier, Kathleen Wynne of the Liberal Party of Ontario met with members of Ontario’s Jobs and Prosperity Council, business leaders and young entrepreneurs for her first round-table discussion.  During the discussion the premier pointed to the net increase of 320,000 new jobs in Ontario since the recession of 2009, and commended the Jobs and Prosperity Council for its recommendations and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce for its report “Emerging Stronger,” which identify new ideas, including funding for small business programs and other economic opportunities aimed at improving Ontario’s long-term productivity and competitiveness.  Providing the right climate to attract investment, create jobs and grow the economy is part of the new Ontario government’s plan to build a fair society and a strong economy.

Government Funding for Hiring and Training Highlighted During Roundtable Discussion

Among the Ontario government funding programs brought up in conversation were government funding for hiring programs such as the Summer Company program which provides funding for small business financing and mentoring to help students run their own businesses. Since the program began, students started up more than 4,000 businesses, from graphic design to computer repair and landscaping businesses.   Wynne reiterated her concern for young people in the province noting:

“Our province’s economy can only grow and prosper if our young people prosper. Preparing young people to meet the challenges ahead will benefit all the people of Ontario now and for generations to come.”

Other Government Funding for Hiring and Training Programs Available to SME’s

There are a number of other small business grants for hiring made possible by both provincial and federal funding, these include:

Career Focus -Information & Communication Technology 

This Canadian government funding offers subsidized wages for new graduates that have IT work experience and may include but not limited to website development, search engine optimization, software development, database creation and maintenance, conversion traffic, press releases, building content and link building strategies.

Connect Canada Internship

These Ontario small business grants support the hiring of an intern in any research field, including natural sciences, engineering, economy, social science, health, environment and ethics. The company will have the opportunity to utilize the intern’s skill-set in order to solve an R&D problem over a 4-6 month project.

IRAP Youth Employment Program (YEP) provides Ontario business funding grants for companies looking to hire up to 2 recent Canadian graduates under the age of 31. This funding for small business will provide up to $15,000 for each 12-month full-time recent graduate hired to a unique position within the firm.   Areas of the business that are eligible include research and development, engineering, multimedia, market analysis, business development, and improvements to customer service.

Learn more about Canadian government funding for small business opportunities

For additional information or advice regarding other Canadian Small Business  Funding Grants for Human Resources please contact one of our Canadian Government Funding Experts and don’t forget to sign up for our Weekly Business Funding Grants Newsletter for updates on programs made available by both provincial and federal governments.  You are also invited to connect with our CEO on Twitter