The delivery of employment services for people receiving Ontario Works assistance in Toronto is changing as of March 1, 2025.
Starting March 1, 2025, all employment services for people receiving Ontario Works (OW) in Toronto will be provided through Employment Ontario instead of through the City of Toronto. Employment services are the job-related supports, programs, and training opportunities that help job seekers reach their goal to find and maintain employment.
This change to how employment services are provided is part of the provincial government’s efforts to improve Ontario’s employment services for job seekers.
People receiving OW in Toronto can contact their caseworker with any questions about these changes.
How Ontario Works (OW) recipients currently work with their caseworker to access stability supports and services will not change. They will continue to be supported by their OW caseworker to get the help they need to get ready to participate in employment activities, for example, through referrals to housing supports, itinerant services, mental health resources, and community programs.
When an individual is ready to participate in employment activities, their caseworker will make a referral to Employment Ontario. Once the referral has been accepted, the OW caseworker will work in collaboration with an Employment Ontario employment consultant to support the individual.
The caseworker will continue to provide supports and benefits available through OW, and Employment Ontario will provide employment services including help to:
All Ontario Works training programs that started in 2024 will finish by March 1, 2025. Programs that start in 2025 will all end by June 30, 2025.
Any monthly employment-related benefits that individuals have been receiving to support their participation in these programs will end on or before February 28. See What’s Changing: Employment-Related Benefits below for more details.
Training providers who are currently funded to deliver follow-up employment support will no longer be funded to provide this help after February 2025. Participants will be referred to Employment Ontario for job search support by their OW caseworker upon completion of their program.