Targeted learning opportunities support employers find training for thousands of displaced workers on Skills for Jobs Canada and Ontario Micro-credentials Portal
eCampusOntario announced today the launch of targeted learning pathways, hosted on Skills for Jobs Canada, and Ontario’s Microcredentials Portal to support employers participating in the Government of Canada’s Work‑Sharing Program. The initiative supports the Program, which enables businesses to strengthen workforce skills while adapting to economic impacts, trade disruptions, and changing market conditions. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) announced funding to expand the successful program to expand supports for reskilling workers in priority sectors.
The new curated learning pathways, designed for businesses with an active work-sharing agreement with the government, provide employers and employees with tailored, free to search and easy‑to‑navigate access to relevant learning opportunities within key sectors.
“The Work‑Sharing Program helps protect jobs during periods of uncertainty, and learning plays a powerful role supporting companies to upgrade their ability to compete in the global economy,” said Robert Luke, CEO of eCampusOntario. “We are supporting the Work‑Sharing training initiative on Skills for Jobs Canada to help employers turn reduced hours into opportunities for upskilling, enhancing both business recovery and worker confidence.”
The Government of Canada’s Work‑Sharing Program provides income support to employees who agree to a temporary reduction in their normal working hours while their employer recovers from economic challenges – with the potential end benefit of saving thousands of jobs. eCampusOntario’s Skills for Jobs Canada platform complements the Work‑Sharing initiative by making it easier for employers and workers to identify training aligned to their sector, roles, and emerging labour‑market needs.
Along with the targeted skills pathways, the Skills for Jobs Canada platform includes links to training related to key industry clusters, as well as Free Learning resources in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills. The platform presents thousands of courses in a searchable, easy to navigate way for both individual workers and employers who are navigating workforce adjustments.
As part of eCampusOntario’s broader commitment to skills development, the organization has also launched free, bilingual AI Fundamentals learning micro-courses, developed in partnership with Durham College’s AI Hub. These short, web‑based courses build foundational AI literacy and are available through Skills for Jobs Canada and the Ontario Micro-Credentials Portal.
eCampusOntario’s ongoing work to connect learners and employers to education fosters economic inclusion, lifelong learning, and workforce adaptability across Ontario and Canada. eCampusOntario was an early entrant in this space with its support of the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security’s Micro-credentials Strategy with, among other initiatives, its launch of the Micro-credentials Portal.
“In the face of economic uncertainty, it is imperative that Ontario ensures our workers have the skills they need to drive our key industries forward, no matter what we may face,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Our government is proud to support eCampusOntario’s role in upskilling and re-training displaced workers in partnership with the Federal Government’s Work-Sharing program, which will protect our jobs, our businesses, and our nation.”
Employers with active Work‑Sharing agreements can explore training options on Skills for Jobs Canada here: https://skillsforjobs.ca/work‑sharing
