Program Overview

The OJCP program provides work experience to eligible unemployed job seekers (participants) through projects that benefit the participant, and the community and / or local economy. These projects provide participants with opportunities to gain work experience to improve their employment prospects. The primary focus of OJCP is helping the participant find long term, sustainable employment.

Yes, successful applicants may receive funding from the ministry, for eligible costs an applicant cannot raise on their own or through other partnership sources.

The financial assistance will vary depending on the project scope, duration, participant activities, and contributions from the sponsor and other partners.

Yes, funding for participants performing activities under an OJCP project comes from two sources:

• Federal Employment Insurance (EI) benefits for those participants who are active EI claimants; and
• Provincial financial assistance from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Note: In some cases, participants may receive an additional wage top up. This is voluntarily offered and paid directly by the project sponsor.

Eligible employers (who become sponsors, once an agreement is signed with the ministry) who can apply for the OJCP program include:

• not-for-profit organizations
• municipalities
• Indigenous councils, institutions, and organizations
• public health and educational institutions
• businesses

Note: Private sector businesses are eligible for funding consideration under certain conditions. Funding cannot be used for activities which might result in an unfair competitive advantage to the business.

Yes. To be eligible as a participant in OJCP, individuals must:

• be a resident of Ontario, and
• meet the Employment Insurance (EI) Act’s definition of an “insured participant”
• be unemployed. Individuals are considered unemployed if they:
  • are working less than an average of 20 hours per week, and
  • are actively seeking full-time employment.

An “insured participant” includes:

• a person for whom an EI benefit period is established;
• a person whose EI benefit period has ended within the previous 60 months;
• a person who paid, in at least 3 of the last 10 years, employee’s premiums (where earnings have been at least $2000 in each of those years); and
• a person who was in receipt of the employment insurance emergency response benefit within the previous 60 months.

An individual can only access an OJCP project after a readiness assessment is completed by an Employment Service provider or Integrated Employment Services provider. Individuals affected by long-term unemployment or in long-term receipt of social assistance may be especially suited for projects under OJCP.

The following activities are the responsibility of an ES provider or SSM (and their Integrated Employment Services (IES) providers):

• The ES provider or IES provider must register individuals interested in being an Ontario Job Creation Partnerships (OJCP) participant by creating a plan in EOIS-CaMS to refer clients to OJCP.
• The ES provider or IES provider must identify that the OJCP work experience being considered supports an occupational goal and is the most suitable intervention for the client(s) to obtain or maintain skills required for sustainable employment.
• The ES provider or IES provider must send to the ministry an OJCP package. The package must include:
  • OJCP (Client) Application (completed by the client)
  • The plan (including client eligibility status)
  • Client’s previous participation in ministry-funded programs or services, work history, employment barriers and needs, occupational goal, any identified disability needs, and attestation of the appropriateness of OJCP for the client.

No, the sponsor application process is the responsibility of the ministry.

No, conducting participant follow-up is not a requirement of the ES provider or Integrated Employment Services provider.

It is the ministry’s responsibility to conduct participant follow-up at exit, three, six and 12 months after receiving services, which is either at the project completion stage, or the date the participant exits the project.

The FRO has the legal authority to collect court-ordered support payments and arrears of support, and can take enforcement action, including the garnishment of Employment Insurance (EI) Part I payments and Ontario Job Creation Partnerships (OJCP) participants EI Part II payments. A garnishment is the lawful seizing of money by a third party for a debt that is in default. In the case of child and spousal support orders, a garnishment can be made by the FRO for family support payments that are in arrears.

During the completion of an OJCP (Client) Application, the ES provider or Integrated Employment Services (IES) provider should determine whether a client has a child or spousal support order. If a child or spousal support order exists, the ES provider or IES provider are to direct the client to contact the FRO and document: the date of the call, the balance of their account, the existence of a garnishment, the name of the FRO case manager and details of their payment schedule. This documentation should be submitted by the ES provider or IES provider to the ministry as part of the OJCP (Client) Application package.

All OJCP candidates must be assessed by an ES provider or Integrated Employment Services (IES) provider, who will establish a plan for the candidate, outlining OJCP as a suitable intervention to meet the candidate’s employment goals.

Should the candidate be selected by the sponsor to participate in the project, they will be case managed by the service provider for the duration of their participation.

While the project is ongoing, the ES provider or IES provider, if requested by the participant, may assist the participant with assisted or non-assisted service support to secure long-term employment, including job search related activities.

Service providers must contact the ministry (designated staff) if they have any participant-reported issues or concerns, and/or project-related questions.