The province has announced $8.9 million for programming that helps low-income women prepare for the workforce.
Twenty-five programs will share in the funds. In Northern Ontario, that includes General Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship courses provided through Canadore College in North Bay and Collège Boréal in Sudbury.
"When women have equal opportunities in the workforce, economies thrive,” Marci Ien, the minister for women and gender equality and youth, said in a news release.
“I’m proud that the investments from the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence will benefit the Women’s Economic Security Program, which is helping women in Ontario achieve financial independence.
“This is about empowering more women to reach their full potential and creating a more inclusive, safe and equal Canada for all."
Eligible programs deliver employment, pre-employment, pre-apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship training to low-income women.
The funds are being provided under Ontario’s Women’s Economic Security Program.
“To help remove barriers to participating, the training programs also include additional supports such as providing meals throughout the training day, transportation to and from training, and support finding child care,” the province noted.
“Through the program, women, including those who have experienced or are at risk of intimate partner violence, can also access wraparound supports, including referrals to mental health and well-being supports, counselling, housing, and legal support.”
More information is available at Ontario.ca/women.
The investment is part of the province’s four-year action plan to prevent and address gender-based violence.
