Ontario Pauses Better Jobs Funding Amid Audit of 'Inconsistencies'
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Labour Minister Trevor Jones confirms a review of the provincial retraining program as the government grapples with a separate OSAP fraud scandal involving private career colleges.
The Ontario government has suspended new applications for the Better Jobs Ontario program following the discovery of "inconsistencies" regarding the distribution and efficacy of funding, Global News reports.
Labour Minister Trevor Jones told Global News that the ministry launched an internal review to determine where funds are being directed and whether they are providing the intended benefit. In 2025, approximately 4,300 workers received funding through the program, with individual grants ranging from $28,000 to $35,000 to cover housing, transportation, books, and tuition.
While Minister Jones initially indicated that the accounting firm KPMG would conduct the audit, his office later clarified that KPMG has not been engaged for the Better Jobs Ontario review. According to the ministry, KPMG's scope is limited to reviewing OSAP funding at private institutions.
The broader investigation into private career colleges, which involved KPMG and the OPP, revealed potential OSAP fraud. Minister of Colleges and Universities Nolan Quinn informed the legislature of "bad actors" who allegedly posed as students in virtual courses, with some completing entire courses in one day or finishing final exams in six minutes.
Minister Jones noted that the risk threshold for Better Jobs Ontario is lower because the program requires physical attendance for hands-on training—such as micro-credential or forklift training—and does not permit virtual courses.
While Minister Quinn stated that the government will keep the final KPMG audit results confidential to protect investigations, he noted that the findings could lead to schools losing their ability to provide career college training in Ontario. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser and NDP Leader Marit Stiles have criticized the government's lack of transparency regarding the publicly funded audit.