Ontario budget invests in training, facility maintenance and new equipment

Posted on Thursday, March 25th, 2021

The Ontario government’s 2021 budget includes multiple investments in post-secondary education, including $21.4 million for a new Virtual Learning Strategy, and funding for facility maintenance and new equipment.

The Provincial Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy, was released on March 24. It included several measures to bolster the post-secondary sector, including expanding OSAP to students in eligible programs at Indigenous Institutes and in micro-credential programs. Post-secondary spending included $493 million in capital funding over three years – starting in 2021–22 – to help colleges and universities across Ontario address the ongoing need for the maintenance, renovation and modernization of their facilities.

“The new initiatives announced in the budget – including support for virtual learning, worker training, lifelong learning opportunities and applied research – demonstrate the Province’s commitment to learners and post-secondary education,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO. “The government’s investment in equipment, capital repairs and modernization helps ensure our colleges can continue to deliver high-quality programs that prepare students for successful, dynamic careers in our changing economy.”

The budget comes after the Ontario government recently provided funding to help post-secondary institutions – including Algonquin College – to address the financial impacts of COVID-19.

Other Provincial Budget highlights include:

  • Providing $90 million over three years to help colleges and universities renew and purchase modern state-of-the-art equipment
  • An additional $2 million in 2021-22 for the development of a virtual skills passport that tracks learners’ credentials to set the foundation for lifelong learning and allows them to share credentials digitally with prospective employers
  • Investing $493 million to help colleges and universities address the need for facility maintenance, renovation and modernization over the next three years
  • A new Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit for 2021
  • The province has announced $500 million over 10 years for post-secondary research.
  • The province is investing an additional $614.3 million during 2020–21 and 2021–22 to provide targeted employment and training supports
  • More than $1 billion for a province-wide vaccination plan, including $50 Million to support vaccinations in First Nations and urban Indigenous communities, plus $2.3 Billion for testing and contact tracing.
  • Making $1.4 billion available for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – enabling province to purchase more than 315 million masks and more than $1.2 billion gloves

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