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Make sure your team is ready when change comes knocking. As the worldwide business landscape evolves, it’s ever-important to arm employees with new resources and training to succeed in their positions.

Build your capacity in employee training and development by collaborating with Bruce County community partners and organizations to grow, sustain and elevate your workforce.

Employee Training and Skills Development Programs

Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) AgriHR Toolkit

The AgriHR Toolkit helps employers streamline human resource operations and manage their workforce more effectively. Developed by subject matter experts, extensive stakeholder consultation and years of research and field-testing, the Toolkit is the go-to resource to address the unique needs of the Canadian agriculture industry.

Video on Hiring the Right Employees & Onboarding (Feb 29, 2024)

Learn more about CAHRC (cahrc-ccrha.ca)

Learn more about the AgriHR Toolkit.

Contact North

Contact North is a free, local bilingual service to help residents in 1,500+ rural and remote Ontario communities access online programs and courses from colleges, universities and training providers without having to leave their communities. 

Connect with a representative from your local Bruce County Contact North locations:

Fanshawe College Huron/Bruce Regional Sites

Welcoming full-time, part-time and dual-credit students in a number of diploma programs, certificates and community-interest courses, Fanshawe is proud to be a contributor to the economic growth and sustainability of the region.

Discover how you can build your employees skill set with Fanshawe

Georgian College Owen Sound Campus

The Owen Sound Campus is located on almost 15 acres of property and is small but mighty. It offers a wide variety of programs, continuing education, and upskilling opportunities close to home.

Academic and Career Preparation (ACP) is a free, goal-directed, flexible and supportive academic upgrading program. It accommodates the realities of daily life, while allowing an employee to bring reading, writing, math and other essential skills up to a high-school level.

Micro-credentials offer a unique approach to rapid training and allow for upskilling and reskilling to gain in-demand skills.

Explore programs to support employee development.

Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC)

OTEC is a not-for-profit organization that provides skills training, upskilling, consulting, and research with a focus on the tourism and hospitality industry. Organizations in the tourism sector have free access to many programs. One of the programs they lead is Tourism SkillsNet.

Tourism SkillsNet7: Identifying workforce gaps and need to train potential employees? Tourism SkillsNet7 has you covered. Up to 100 potential employees can be trained and matched with job opportunities within the tourism sector, with wage subsidies available for up to 10 employees per organization.

Learn more about OTEC.

Regional Tourism Organization 7 (RTO7)

At RTO7, the aim is to collaborate with tourism partners and stakeholders to enhance visitation, investment, and visitor spending within the local communities. They offer a range of resources and financial programs tailored to support tourism businesses, focusing on training, partnerships, and recruitment support. Here’s how they can assist:

Recruitment Implementation Program (RIP): Need assistance with workforce recruitment? The RIP program is here to help. Job ads will be posted on the RTO7 Indeed Job Board and posts sponsored, covering up to $500 per job post, with a maximum of 5 posts.

Sustainability Inclusivity Program (SIP): Promoting sustainability and inclusivity in your business? SIP is a great solution. Whether it’s a new sustainable product, experience, or inclusive business practice like the Rainbow Registered program, they’ll support initiatives that foster community pride and participation.

Typsy Hospitality Learning Program: Join the effort to cultivate continuous learning among tourism operators. Through Typsy, a hospitality learning program, access thousands of bite-sized videos (most less than 5 minutes) covering hospitality skills and management, all taught by industry experts – for free.

Tourism SkillsNet7: Identifying workforce gaps and need to train potential employees? Tourism SkillsNet7 has you covered. Up to 100 potential employees can be trained and matched with job opportunities within the tourism sector, with wage subsidies available for up to 10 employees per organization.

T3 Accelerator Program: Ready to accelerate your tourism business operations? The T3 Accelerator Program offers personalized assistance by connecting participants with experienced mentors for one-on-one coaching and industry resources, empowering growth within the local tourism destination.

Learn more about all RTO7s programs.

QUILL Learning Network / Adult Learning

QUILL Learning Network is the support organization for adult upgrading programs in Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth and South Georgian Bay. Adult Upgrading programs help adults develop and/or improve their skills for work.

Learn more about the Adult Learning Centres.
See who offers adult upgrading in your community.

VPI Working Solutions 

As an Employment Ontario service provider, VPI offers free services, programs, and resources to help employers through the entire hiring process. From pre-screening to onboarding and training, VPI can help. 

Contact VPI Walkerton and request their employer information sheet.

200 McNab Street, Suite 200, Walkerton, ON N0G 2V0

519-881-4900

info@vpi-inc.com

YMCA Owen Sound Grey Bruce

Hiring incentives are designed to support employers who help unemployed workers enter or re-enter the workforce and maintain employment. These incentives provide support for on-the-job training, including apprenticeship training, and work experience opportunities.

Speak to a YMCA Job Developer today to learn more about hiring incentives available for your business.

Funding Opportunities for Training and Skills Development

Canada-Ontario Job Grant Program

Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) provides opportunities for employers, individually or in groups, to invest in their workforce, with help from the government.

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides direct financial support to individual employers or employer consortia who wish to purchase training for their employees. It is available to small, medium, and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees.

Learn more about the program and eligibility