Deadline: 12-Dec-2024
The Ontario Bridge Training Program (OBTP) helps highly skilled newcomers access licensing and employment in their field without repeating previous training and education.
Skilled immigrants can increase their opportunities to resume their careers in Ontario by getting their license or certification or connecting with employers in their field.
Priority Sectors
- While all applications serving sectors with a proven labour market need based on regional/demographic factors will be reviewed and evaluated, applications intended to serve the following sectors will be given priority in the selection process:
- Healthcare
- Skilled Trades
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)
- Teaching and Early Childhood Education
- Natural Resources and Agriculture
Streams
- They are requesting applications in two program streams:
- Getting a Job—Direct Service Delivery
- Getting a Licence—Direct Service Delivery
Funding Information
- The maximum funding allocation for financial supports per participant is $1,000
Duration
- The ministry will award funding for up to two years from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027
Eligibility Criteria
- The OBTP program is intended to provide services to highly skilled internationally trained individuals:
- Eligible OBTP participants must:
- Be at least 18 years old and a resident of Ontario
- Have an appropriate combination of both international training and international work experience in a high skilled occupation.
- The appropriate combination of training and work experience required will be determined by the service provider in alignment with industry standards and regulatory requirements and will allow the participant to succeed in the program.
- Appropriate international training does not need to include a degree or diploma in occupations where this is not an industry or regulatory requirement (e.g. skilled trades).
- Have appropriate language proficiency at or equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 or higher, according to the requirements for the occupation or sector
- The minimum CLB varies based on occupation or sector and will allow the participant to succeed in the program.
- Service providers will confirm language proficiency using an assessment of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) competency areas or another assessment deemed acceptable by the service provider.
- Be one of the following:
- Permanent Resident
- Naturalized Canadian citizen
- Provincial nominee under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (excluding those under the International Student stream)
- Refugee claimant with a 900-series Social Insurance Number (SIN) and an open work permit
- Visitor under Emergency Travel measures enacted by the federal government (e.g. Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel measure) with a 900-series Social Insurance Number (SIN) and an open work permit
- Individual in Canada on a temporary work permit who has received confirmation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Ineligibility Criteria
- The following individuals are ineligible for OBTP services:
- Individuals who have completed postsecondary education in Canada
- International students
- Temporary Foreign Workers (unless they have received confirmation from IRCC that they meet the eligibility requirements for permanent residence)
- Individuals participating in full-time education or training
- Individuals participating in any other government- funded occupational training intervention, e.g. Better Jobs Ontario:
For more information, visit Government of Ontario.